Laughter

[Michelle]

Christ is risen! I heard that Saint Basil said that we should control our laughter. Can anyone expand on this? Or share any comments on the Church's attitude toward laughter...?
p.s. I'm not sure if I've put this in the right place so feel free to move it (just tell me where it is!)

[James Aubuchon]

Christ is risen! I heard that Saint Basil said that we should control our laughter. Can anyone expand on this? Or share any comments on the Church's attitude toward laughter...?
p.s. I'm not sure if I've put this in the right place so feel free to move it (just tell me where it is!)

The prayers in the Small Compline service mention "laughing frivolously" as being sinful.

Jesus said "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted" and the Fathers pick up on this idea, and see an attitude of laughter and frivolity as not being conducive to the type of mindset that meditates on death, seeks tears and contrition, and mourns for ones sinful state.

Now whether this means that we should never laugh I don't know. I sometimes find joy and even merriment to be something that can be full if divine grace, but I also find that this same spirit can easily degenerate into frivolity and even blasphemy if one is not careful.

I think in American evangelicalism, there is no concept at all that laughter may not be appropriate in many circumstances. They even have "Christian comedians" come into churches during services and "tell jokes" with "Christian themes." Some churches practice what they call "holy laughter", where they sit in church and supposedly laugh as led by the Holy Spirit.

All of this militates against the very sober-minded approach to spiritual life of the Desert Fathers, who, being deeply convicted of how sinful they really were, spent more time shedding tears than being "jolly". I think that in the monastic spectrum of things, this may work out in practicing the avoidance of laughter altogether, but you will have to ask some of the monks on the forum if this is indeed true.

It is definitely worth meditating on whether laughter is indeed appropriate, whether, being connected with some sinful passion, it may indeed be sinful.

Now to finish on an appropriate note, An Orthodox Priest, a Rabbi, and a Buddhist walk into a bar...

In Christ,

Jim

[Anthony]

Dear Jim,


The prayers in the Small Compline service mention "laughing frivolously" as being sinful.

Could you tell me where this occurs? Possibly I have a different translation. (I liked the content of your post, I just don't remember the quote.)

[James Aubuchon]

Anthony,

It is not in the Small Compline proper. I have the Horologion by Holy Trinity monastery. They have prayers that they pray "according to their custom" during the compline service. One of these prayer is to the Holy Spirit. It is there that they confess to having "laughed frivolously".

I can get a more complete quote for if necessary.

In Christ,

Jim

[Sophronia]

From the Aposticha of last Wednesday vespers:
"The women sprinkled spices mixed with tears on your grave, but
their mouths were filled with laughter when they said "The Lord is Risen.""
Christ is Risen!
Alexandra

[M.C. Steenberg]

From the Aposticha of last Wednesday vespers:
"The women sprinkled spices mixed with tears on your grave, but
their mouths were filled with laughter when they said "The Lord is Risen.""

This quotation makes the excellent point, which we've talked about in this Community before, about the distinction between an act and a passionate act - which can be subtle, since in outward form they can be identical (thus laughter can be holy or harmful; love enlightening or oppressive; anger righteous or hateful).

XB, Matthew

[M.C. Steenberg]

I nearly forgot to mention: I was amused on reading an obituary in one of the major UK newspapers following the death, a few years ago, of Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh -- it mentioned (and I paraphrase here from memory) that 'according to monastic custom, Bishop Anthony never laughed'. This caused a laugh of my own, since the first time I met him, after what could only have been the first two or three sentences of our conversation, Metropolitan Anthony laughed rather heartily; and that laughter - gentle, calm, but hearty - will always remain part of my memory of him.

XB, Matthew

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

From the Aposticha of last Wednesday vespers:
"The women sprinkled spices mixed with tears on your grave, but
their mouths were filled with laughter when they said "The Lord is Risen.""
Christ is Risen!
Alexandra

The original of this stichira actually says "joy" not "laughter". Thus in Slavonic, "i ispolnishasya radosti usta ich, vnegda glagolati, voskrese gospod." The Brookline similarly translates this as "and their mouth was filled with joy, saying: The Lord is risen".

The hymnography of the Church is usually a direct reflection of Patristic commentary on the Gospels and Scripture. It reflects their way of thinking and also of expressing themselves. So the choice of the word "laughter" rather than "joy" is not only an incorrect translation; it also is contrary to how the Fathers see and portray the event of the Myrrhbearers greeting the mystery of Christ's Resurrection.

In all of this it is crucial to keep in mind that integral to this Patristic interpretation is how the Myrrhbearing women represent us in the way they greet the Resurrection. There is not only the expected trepidation which the stichira refers to in the women's tears. There is also an element of the newness or freshness of the Myrrhbearer's experience which is reflected in their arriving at the Tomb early in the morning & to how they as women are faithful antitypes of the Old Eve.

Within this experience of the Church joy is more appropriate than laughter.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[M.C. Steenberg]

Thank you for that post, Fr Raphael. Grateful, as ever.

XB, Matthew

[James Aubuchon]

This all still seems to leave us wondering when laughter is appropriate and when it is not.

The Scriptures say:

"Psalm 126
1When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
2Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.
3The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

But:

Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

Ecclesiastes 7:2-6
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.

James 4:8-10
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.


And Finally:

Ecclesiastes 3
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:...A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

Unworthily In Christ,

Jim

[Ken McRae]

Ecclesiastes 7:4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

James 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.


On the Beatitude of Mourning and Weeping

1. Blessed are ye that weep now: for you shall laugh. - Luke 6:21

2. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. - Matthew 5:5

Note that Christ does not say "Blessed are they who laugh and take comfort in this present life," but blessed are you who mourn and weep in this world, and who reserve true comfort and consolation for the world to come.

King David in Psalm 125

1. When the Lord brought back the captivity of Sion, we became like men comforted. 2. Then was our mouth filled with gladness; and our tongue with joy. Then shall they say among the Gentiles: The Lord hath done great things for them. 3. The Lord hath done great things for us: we are become joyful. 4. Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as a stream in the south. 5. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6. Going they went and wept, casting their seeds. 7. But coming they shall come with joyfulness, carrying their sheaves.

St. Paul the Apostle

1. Therefore watch, keeping in memory that for three years I ceased not with tears to admonish every one of you, night and day. - Acts 20:31

2. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart, I wrote to you with many tears: not that you should be made sorrowful: but that you might know the charity I have more abundantly towards you. - 2 Corinthians 2:4

3. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ. - Philippians 3:18

St. Isaac the Syrian

"All just men have left this world in tears. If the saints wept and always had their mouth full of tears ... who would not weep? ... If those who were victorious wept here below, how is it that one who is full of ulcers would cease weeping? A father, certainly, who has before him the body of a beloved child, does not need to be taught which thoughts will arouse tears in him. Your soul lies before you, dead through sin, and it is worth more to you than the whole world. If we go into solitude, we will thus be able to render tears perpetual. Let us then ask insistently that Our Lord give them to us. If we receive this gift, more excellent than any other, we will attain to purity through tears. And if we do reach it, that purity will not be taken away from us again until our departure from this world." ( Paul Bedjan, Isaac Ninivita, De Perfectione Religiosa, Paris-Leipzig, 1909, p. 252 )

http://www.gorgiaspress.com/bookshop/p-55691-bedjan-paul-the-ascetical-homilies-of-isaac-of-nineveh.aspx[/url] << ]

Thomas a' Kempis

"It is a wonder that any man who considers and meditates on his exiled state and the many dangers to his soul, can ever be perfectly happy in this life. [I]Lighthearted and heedless of our defects, we do not feel the real sorrows of our souls, but often indulge in empty laughter when we have good reason to weep. No liberty is true and no joy is genuine unless it is founded in the fear of the Lord and a good conscience. Happy is the man who can throw off the weight of every care and recollect himself in holy contrition." ( 'The Imitation of Christ' )

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

St. Isaac the Syrian

"All just men have left this world in tears. If the saints wept and always had their mouth full of tears ... who would not weep? ... If those who were victorious wept here below, how is it that one who is full of ulcers would cease weeping? A father, certainly, who has before him the body of a beloved child, does not need to be taught which thoughts will arouse tears in him. Your soul lies before you, dead through sin, and it is worth more to you than the whole world. If we go into solitude, we will thus be able to render tears perpetual. Let us then ask insistently that Our Lord give them to us. If we receive this gift, more excellent than any other, we will attain to purity through tears. And if we do reach it, that purity will not be taken away from us again until our departure from this world." ( Paul Bedjan, Isaac Ninivita, De Perfectione Religiosa, Paris-Leipzig, 1909, p. 252 )


I'm in agreement with Theophilus on this. Basically all of this is part of the effort of sobriety and also a greater awareness of our true state. Of course though sobriety and true godly joy do not contradict each other. Most of the greatest ascetic fathers who continually wept also had a great innocence and quiet joy to themselves.

I think this issue of laughter is similar to the issue of 'what is allowed' which we have often discussed here. We have an ideal before us but we also need to take into account the reality of where we are presently at. Not that this becomes an excuse for sin but rather an acknowledgement that along with our virtuous striving there is also a reality or even weakness in our nature. And the various 'dispensations' allowed us- to laugh, to watch a movie, etc- are a way of balancing our spiritual lives. The balance certainly changes as we change (the dispensation of today may be the sin of tomorrow) but without this balance in our lives we risk falling into real falseness & craziness.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[James Aubuchon]

Thank you Theophilus for the expanded scriptural context, and for the quotes from the Fathers. There is, of course, a literal plethora of quotes from the Fathers on the issue of tears, contrition, and the avoidance of laughter. I was going to try to post some, but you have done that job nicely.

Fr Raphael, Thank you for the wise exhortation against trying to work ourselves into some crazy unbalanced state where all we try to do is weep all the time and never be happy. Tears and GODLY sorrow are gifts of the Holy Spirit from my understanding. They are granted to the ascetic in his struggle when he achieves a certain level of sanctity and focus that most lay people may be unable to achieve. They are accompanied by great joy. To try to "whip it up" is most likely dangerous. It will most likely NOT be "GODLY sorrow that leads to repentance", but some sort of passion-filled excess that is more along the lines of despondency and despair...things that are also condemned as sinful by the Fathers.

But it does become clear that our true joy and laughter will be when we feast with Christ in the promised land, and not here in this fallen world, where we are beset by sins and have not yet been made perfect. Some sincere efforts to "humble ourselves", take notice of our sinful state, and perhaps turn some of our laughter into mourning, confessing our faults and seeking to put on the virtues, might be very good. I know that in the past few months, particularly during Lent, it has helped me immensely.

In Christ,

Jim

[Effie Ganatsios]

I’ve been thinking about this subject for a few days now.

Michelle, I believe that the laughter we are advised against is that of mockery, derision, frivolity, and lewdness.

Jesus Christ has told us to become as children – what is a child filled with? Faith and laughter.
Faith in the people around him, and faith in himself. And laughter. Is there anything more wonderful than the sound of the laughter of children? Just hearing it makes you feel so good.
And is there anything more wonderful that the laughter that bubbles over when we are full of joy?

As Orthodox Christians our faith should fill us with joy.

Excerpt from “The Ascetic of Love – Mother Gavrilia” :

Nun : Gerondissa (Greek for spiritual mother), you have spoken of joy. Yet, the Fathers tell us to have sorrow and tears for our sins. How can this be combined?

Gerondissa Gavrilia : I will tell you. The moment we become aware that we did something wrong, we shall shed tears, we shall feel contrition, we shall repent. Then, the joy of pardon should follow, because we know that God is Compassionate and All Merciful.


There are many references to joy in the New Testament. Jesus’ first miracle was when he changed the jars of water into wine at the wedding in Cana. Wine makes the heart merry! Do you imagine that after doing this Jesus sat amongst the wedding guests full of gloom and sadness?

Yesterday, I had coffee with a friend and we were discussing Elder Paisios . My friend is a spiritual child of this holy man and knew him well. I thought of the discussion here on Monachos.net and asked him what kind of person Paisios was – did he laugh a lot? He told me that Elder Paisios was full of laughter and even liked telling jokes.

The above are just a few thoughts I had on the subject of laughter – hope you find something in them that you like and can relate to, Michelle.

Christos Anesti
Effie

[Father David Moser]

I've been away for a couple of weeks and have read quite a few of these comments all at once. One of the things that came to mind is that laughter has the effect of dispersing tension. This is why one of the strategies to diffuse a tense, even dangerous situation is to tell a joke or do something funny getting the parties to laugh. It breaks the tension, easing the "pressure" to act on strong feelings. Also one can see this when filled with strong sadness, tears can be avoided by laughing. So laughing has an effect of dispersion other strong feelings.

All this is important for the Christian to note because we only truly change anything in our lives when we are sufficiently uncomfortable with the status quo. If our discomfort level is decreased by constant laughter, we are able then to tolerate all kinds of guilt, remorse, dissatisfaction etc and never have to face our own responsibility for it. In interpersonal situations, a certain level of interpersonal tension is required to make decisions, take difficult actions, etc. If we decrease that level of tension then nothing gets done, no problems get solved. Frivolous laughter distracts us from the work of our salvation, dispersing our discomfort with the world and our sinful way of life, putting off repentance and sidestepping making any changes in our lives.

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with laughing, but it is often overused and misused and takes us away from the working out of our own salvation. Laughter masks the prompting of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, pricking the conscience to move us to abandon sin. Just as we shouldn't work ourselves up into a false frenzy of tears so also we should not abandon ourselves to unrestrained laughter.

Archpr. David Moser

[Ken McRae]

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with laughing, but it is often overused and misused and takes us away from the working out of our own salvation.

I would like to thank everyone for their insightful posts, which are proving helpful to me. While searching the web yesterday for something, I stumbled upon the following essay by a Protestant. It makes some useful observations, similar to those indicated by Father David, so I thought it might offer some food for thought in this thread. Any and all comments/criticisms on it are certainly more than welcome and will be considered.

What Is the True Place of Laughter? @ http://www.eternallifeministries.org/laughter.htm

[M.C. Steenberg]

Dear all,

I thought I would point out that the Orthodoxy and Humour thread (http://www.monachos.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1405), also in this area, was quite active some time ago and contains c. 40 posts that I imagine would be interesting and relevant to those engaged in the present conversation.

XB, Matthew

[Charles Lock]

I can recommend a book by M.A. Screech, Laughter at the Foot of the Cross (1997), on theological debates about and uses of laughter in the 16th century, especially in Rabelais and Erasmus. Their arguments are rich in references not only to the scriptures but to the Church Fathers, both Greek and Latin. For example, Maximus the Confessor is cited for listing laughter 'among the good things of life'.

As for philological disputes about whether 'laughter' or 'joy' is the more appropriate translation, one might consider the vesper hymn 'Phos hilaron' - 'O gladsome light' - more nearly translated as 'Hilarious light'.

Charles Lock

[M.C. Steenberg]

Dear Mr Lock,

You mentioned Screech's Laughter at the Foot of the Cross. I wonder if you could summarise some of the points of this book, especially vis-a-vis Rabelais and Erasmus as you mentioned?

Not having it to hand, I would be interested to hear your take on its contents.

XB, Matthew

[Moses Anthony]

This quotation makes the excellent point, which we've talked about in this Community before, about the distinction between an act and a passionate act - which can be subtle, since in outward form they can be identical (thus laughter can be holy or harmful; love enlightening or oppressive; anger righteous or hateful).

XB, Matthew

There was something I was going to say, which I thought was amazingly poignant, but alas ...

The prayer of confession that "...I have laughed frivously..."says to me that which Mathew has pointed out, which we find in other forms in the Scriptures; i.e., out of control attitudes and usages of wine, money, sex, pious acts, etc., etc., etc.,

the sinful and unworthy servant
moses

[Fr Seraphim (Black)]

Having been tremendously inspired by Saint Silouan the Athonite, I was at first taken a back by the author of his Life, Archimandrite Sophrony, during the first few weeks of living with him in 1975.

Fr. Sophrony had made it very clear that Saint Silouan during his monastic life had never laughed, nor was his face even slightly seen to endure a smile, yet there I was living with his disciple who was full of joy, laughter, prone to telling many jokes, etc.

I can say the same of Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain (+1994) whom I sat and talked with on many occasions.

Father Sophrony, in reference to Fr. Raphael quoting St. Isaac, made it very clear, that the true reason to be a hermit, was to give room to ceaseless weeping.

It has been my lived experience that the present day hermits on the Holy Mountain and elsewhere are full of joy, laughter and the odd joke. However, they certainly take their vocation seriously.

In community life those gifted by the Holy Spirit with the grace of unceasing tears, are very circumspect in the presence of others. Thus those whom I have known to have this gift of weeping, guard this gift with the utmost discernment and discretion.

Intense weeping is to be carried out with one's door closed, as Christ asks of us when we pray.

It is my personal feeling, that with the deeply tragic nature of the times we live in, a monastic witness must be tempered by a careful balance when it comes to laughter and mindfulness of one's sin. So many, many people are so terribly broken by the spirit of this age we live in, that often laughter is the best medicine.

[Ken McRae]

Intense weeping is to be carried out with one's door closed, as Christ asks of us when we pray.

Dear fr. Seraphim,

Thank you for sharing with us your thoughts and experiences on this subject. They are deeply appreciated! I do hope and pray you are feeling a bit better today and that you are not suffering from a throbbing headache.

Some things I've been reading today brought this thread back to mind. Your word above, about intense weeping, reminded me of something reported of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk; so I've taken the liberty of posting a few notations from the Memoirs of his life, published by Fedotov in his 'Treasury of Russian Spirituality'. St. Tikhon possessed the gift of tears and I find a deep affinity between himself and St. Silouan the Athonite, in respect to the profound spirit of gravity which animated them both!

From Ivan Yefimov's Memoirs of the Life of St. Tychon of Zadonsk :-

01 - During the first years of his sojourn at the Zadonsk monastery, he was extremely strict with his attendants. He had a violent temper, and he punished them for the slightest fault, imposing on them many genuflections and bows during prayer. As the result of these severities he would sometimes lose those attendants who had served him most zealously but who would in the end leave him out of fear. Conscious of his intemperance, he began to petition God for the visitation of some ailment which should teach him patience and humility. And he obtained that for which he had prayed.

He had a dream in which he beheld himself entering a church, and a priest emerged from the sanctuary carrying in his arms an infant whose face was covered with a piece of fine gauze. His Grace, who had a great love of little children (for Christ Himself had received them), approached the priest and asked him the infant's name. The priest replied that the child was named Basil (which in Greek means "king"). Removing the white cover from the infant's face, Tychon kissed him on the right cheek. But the child struck him with his right hand on the left check, with such force that the Bishop awoke. Rising, he observed that his left hand was trembling and his left leg was stricken with weakness.

Meditating on the sign which had been sent him in his dream, he thanked God for this paternal visitation. From that time on, he began to acquire patience and deep humility. Indeed he learned so well that if he should rebuke his cook, the meanest of his servants, who was of peasant stock, and should see that he was offended, Tychon would bow before him, asking to be forgiven. With the help of divine grace, he made such progress that it was possible to behold in him all those fruits of the spirit of which St. Paul has spoken, such as charity, gladness, and peace.

02 - St. Tychon had prepared a coffin for himself four or five years before his death. It was lined with a black fabric, and on the lid was a cross of white tape. Each day the Bishop would contemplate that coffin, which stood in a closet near his bedroom. Gazing at it, he would be deeply moved and would weep, bewailing the fall of the first man and of mankind, all the more because man is a reasonable being. On that subject he would often speak as follows to his attendants: "To what a state man has lowered himself that he must be buried in the earth like cattle, he who had been created sinless and immortal by God." Considering these things he would weep afresh and groan and retire to his cell, where his voice would be heard like that of a mourner.

Then, seated on his couch, he would meditate on the two eternities, the one blissful, the other full of torments. So deeply would he be absorbed in these meditations that when his attendant (who was not always allowed to enter) would approach him, His Grace would neither see nor hear him but would remain motionless, his forehead in his right hand, sensing only as in a dream that someone had entered his cell. Afterwards doubting his senses, he would ask his attendant whether he had been in the cell at such or such a time.

Before his death, His Grace had given verbal instructions that his body should be buried on the south side of the path leading to the church, near the steps of the porch, and that it should be placed under a stone. Several years before his death, the Bishop had chosen this stone himself, desiring that all who went to church to pray should step on the stone beneath which his body lay. But out of respect for the saintly bishop, His Grace Tychon III placed his body under the altar.

From Chebotarev's Memoirs of the Life of St. Tychon of Zadonsk :-

03 - "He attended Mass every day, singing in the choir, and he rarely sang without weeping. It may truly be said that he had a special gift of tears granted by God. Two springs ever flowed from his eyes. Rarely did he smile at anything, and if he did so, he would say, 'Lord, forgive me, wretch that I am, for I have sinned before you.' He carefully avoided vain conversations, and his own speech usually concerned eternal torments and eternal bliss, also vices and Christian virtues."

04 - His thoughts and conversations were primarily concerned with death, and he had a picture painted of an old, white-haired man, clothed in black and lying in a coffin. This picture hung before the foot of his bed, and there was a wooden stand near the bed, on which some books were placed. He would often look at the picture, and sighing from the depths of his heart, he would say: "O Lord, make me know my end, And what is the number of my days: that I may know what is wanting in me." He was wont to chant this text night and day, always with deep sighs and tears of contrition.

05 - While staying at the Tolshevsky monastery, it was his custom to walk about the church at midnight and to pray on his knees before each of the doors, shedding burning tears, and I was witness thereof. Sometimes I would hear him praying aloud, 'Gloria in excelsis,' and reciting the holy psalms. Before the west doors, he would pray half an hour or more; then he would hurry back to his cell, where he would spend his time in greater labors.

06 - He also spoke often of Mount Athos: "There," he said, "many of our brother bishops, having left their dioceses, live in solitude at the various monasteries." When Greek archimandrites from Mount Athos visited him, he conversed with them at length concerning their monasteries and their ascetic life, listening most attentively. And when they took leave of hint, he gave them his blessing, saying, "Farewell, beloved. I pray, make known to the saintly fathers living at Mount Athos that I bow low before them; I beseech you, ask them fervently to remember my wretchedness in their holy prayers."

Chebotarev says that St. Tikhon "carefully avoided vain conversations." This reminded me of Abba Philimon, the great ascetic father, who teaches us that a single "idle word can make the intellect forget God, the demons enforcing this with the compliance of the senses." (Philokalia, Vol. II, p. 345) "In addition to his other virtues," the Philokalia says, "Abba Philimon possessed this other characteristic: he would never listen to idle talk. If someone inadvertently said something which was of no benefit to the soul, he did not respond at all." ( ibid, Vol. II, p. 352) From the above words, we may see that those who practice unceasing prayer and cultivate warmth of heart, abstain from idle words, as these cause the intellect to forget God, a soul-ruining sin, if any. It is a rare person who has mastered a form of humour or laughter that does not participate in or breed idle thoughts and words in others.

Hence we read that St. Tikhon rarely smiled: "Rarely did he smile at anything, and if he did so, he would say, 'Lord, forgive me, wretch that I am, for I have sinned before you;' " and that "his thoughts and conversations were primarily concerned with death." In this manner he cultivated a deep penthos, tears, and heart-felt compunction. That he rarely if ever smiled about anything may have been his way to mortify laughter and idle words. However, your description of St. Silouan, in part, reminded me of this quality in St. Tikhon, and the fact that St. Silouan practiced keeping his mind in hell! It is not too difficult for me to see or understand how keeping one's mind in hell might predispose the soul against engaging in carnal humour, laughter, and vain conversation.

Chebotarev says that St. Tikhon "was of an hypochondriacal and somewhat choleric temperament." I am wondering to what extent this may have made him especially prone to attacks by the spirit of accidie and bouts of spiritual dejection; and how spiritual dejection can tempt one to engage in 'worldly' humour, joking, and laughter, as a way to deal with the spiritual desolation one is afflicted with. At any rate, I am inclined to think that St. Tikhon was profoundly exercised in the struggle against the spirit of accidie and we have a surviving letter of his, though a short one, which provides practical insight into, or spiritual counsel on this mystery:-

Counsel from St. Tikhon of Zadonsk Concerning the Spirit of Accidie


I see from your letter that you have been assailed by the spirit of dejection. This is a grievous passion, against which Christians seeking salvation must struggle fiercely. Dejection assails even such as have bread and other objects of necessity ready at hand. How much the more, then, does it attack those who live in solitude? I commend to you the following practices:

01. Exhort yourself, force yourself, to prayer and every good work, however contrary be your inclination. As a lazy horse, driven by a whip, is compelled by man to walk and to trot, even so must we coerce ourselves into performing every kind of labor, and how much the more, to pray. God, beholding your efforts and your labor, will grant you zeal and inclination. Habit of itself creates the inclination, and, it might be said, attracts us towards prayer and good deeds. Learn to acquire this habit, and it will draw you to prayer and good deeds.

02. Zeal is also acquired by variety in our occupations - that is, by turning from one task to another. And so you must do as follows: pray, then perform some manual task, then read a book, then meditate on your spiritual condition, on eternal salvation, and so on. And do these things alternately. If dejection grips you fiercely, leave your room, and walking up and down, meditate on Christ; lift your mind to God and pray. Thus dejection will leave you.

03 - ??? [N.B. This section was missing from the online document @ http://www.holytrinitymission.org/books/english/russian_spirituality_fedotov.htm#_Toc46671188 ]

04. The thought of death, which perchance may cross your mind, the thought of Christ's judgment, of eternal torment and of eternal bliss, turns away dejection. Meditate on these things.

05. Pray and sigh, pleading with God Himself to grant you zeal and inclination: for without Him we are good for no task whatsoever.

If you follow these four instructions, believe me, little by little you will attain both zeal and inclination. God expects from us labor and courageous deeds; and He has promised to help those who labor. May you so labor that God may help you. He helps those who strive, not those who rest and slumber. Satan lies in wait to accomplish our perdition; nor should we slumber, but should stand erect and give battle to so fierce an antagonist; and this can be accomplished through prayer and reading and every kind of good work, so that when the Evil One visits us, he shall find no place.

"Resist the Devil and he will fly from you." No man is more easily approached by the Devil than one who lives in slothfulness and leisure; this is a house well swept and adorned for the Evil One. Meditate on these things and beware, and pray for me, a sinner. [End of Letter]

How he warns against idleness, (and thus against idle thoughts, words, and conversation,) in the battle against spiritual dejection! "Nothing offended him more than to find us idle," Chebotarev says. "At Zadonsk, for instance, he often said to us, 'One who lives in idleness sins continually.' He was never idle himself. In the morning before Mass he would occupy himself with the writing of edifying books, which are still in existence and prove most useful to those who seek the salvation of their souls. And I know of certain persons who, from reading these books, have perceived the vanity of the world, taken up their cross and followed Christ. How many craving for eternal salvation were fed from this spiritual spring in our fleeting life! Even after he had been translated to eternal bliss, his pious works remained to nourish many." (Chebotarev's Memoir) Idleness breeds idle thoughts and words!

St. John of Kronstadt likewise has a few grace-filled words to contribute on this topic, which I post for your spiritual edification. And may the gracious Lord bless them to our hearts!

St. John of Kronstadt on Spiritual Rejoicing:-

01 - The life of the man - of the true Christian - is in the future, in after ages; there every joy and full blessedness will be opened to him. But here he is only an exile, and is under punishment; here sometimes the whole of nature takes up arms against man for his sins, not to speak of the enemy from time immemorial, who "as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8)." Therefore, I am not disturbed by the fact that there are joy and abundance everywhere throughout the world, while in myself alone there is often no gladness, so that I look morosely upon the gladness and freedom of God's creatures. I have within me an executioner for my sins - he is ever with me, and strikes me. But there will be joys for me also, only not here, but in the other world. ( p. 46 )

02 - The time and place for the action of grace is here alone; after death there remain only the prayers of the Church, and these prayers can be efficacious for penitent sinners alone - that is, only for those who have developed in their souls the capability of receiving God's mercy or of benefiting by the prayers of the Church - that is, the light of the good works which they have taken with them out of this life. ( p. 30 )

03 - Charity, it is said, "rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth (1 Cor. 13:6)." It often happens to us to see the unrighteous sinful doings of men, or to hear of them, and we have a sinful habit of rejoicing at such doings, and of shamelessly expressing our joy by foolish laughter. This is wrong, unchristian, uncharitable and impious. It shows that we have not Christian love for our neighbour in our hearts: for charity "rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth (1 Cor. 13:6)." Let us, therefore, cease doing this, so that we may not be condemned with the workers of iniquity. ( p. 109-110 )

04 - All my happiness and unhappiness are contained in the thoughts and inclinations of my heart. If the thoughts and inclinations of my heart are in accord with God's truth or with the will of my God, then I am at rest, filled with divine light, joy, and blessedness; if not, I am uneasy, filled with spiritual, soul-corrupting darkness, heaviness, and despondency. If I completely change the false, impious thoughts and inclinations of my heart into true ones, pleasing to God, then I again obtain rest and blessedness. ( p. 118)

05 - "The most usual way to God for us sinners, who have strayed from Him into a far-away land, is the way of painful suffering and bitter tears. Both the Holy Scriptures and actual experience testify that, in order to draw near to God, it is necessary for the sinner to suffer, weep, shed tears, and to amend his deceitful heart: 'Draw nigh to God ... be afflicted, and mourn, and weep.' ( Jam. 4:8-9 ) Tears have power to cleanse the wickedness of our heart, and sufferings and affliction are necessary, because through suffering the sinful expansion of the heart is salutarily contracted, and when the heart is thus contracted, tears more easily flow." ( p. 24 )

In the above teaching of St. John, I see the germ or essence of Blessed Seraphim Rose's suffering Orthodoxy and pain of heart, which he often testified of and manifested in his own living witness!

[Lourens]

Dear Readers and Writers

In Theophilus' wonderful contribution we find the following extract (my emphasis):

St. John of Kronstadt on Spiritual Rejoicing:-
03 - Charity, it is said, "rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth (1 Cor. 13:6)." It often happens to us to see the unrighteous sinful doings of men, or to hear of them, and we have a sinful habit of rejoicing at such doings, and of shamelessly expressing our joy by foolish laughter. This is wrong, unchristian, uncharitable and impious. It shows that we have not Christian love for our neighbour in our hearts: for charity "rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth (1 Cor. 13:6)." Let us, therefore, cease doing this, so that we may not be condemned with the workers of iniquity. ( p. 109-110 )

04 - All my happiness and unhappiness are contained in the thoughts and inclinations of my heart. If the thoughts and inclinations of my heart are in accord with God's truth or with the will of my God, then I am at rest, filled with divine light, joy, and blessedness; if not, I am uneasy, filled with spiritual, soul-corrupting darkness, heaviness, and despondency. If I completely change the false, impious thoughts and inclinations of my heart into true ones, pleasing to God, then I again obtain rest and blessedness. ( p. 118)

We should not overlook the reality that laughter is an expression of enjoyment, and that enjoyment is an expression of love. Love rejoices in the truth; it enjoys truth. While we have every reason to weep with the heart of God, and mourn with those who mourn, we may certainly laugh with those who laugh in spirit and in truth, as an expression of love by the Spirit of Love that has been poured forth into our hearts. When opened and purified by truth, may streams of living water flowing from the innermost being not sometimes, sincerely, express itself as a "belly-laugh?" Have we not all experienced its transforming power? It is as infectious as great sorrow.

True laughter has its own true ring. Its expression is as varied as there are individuals, and becomes part of a person's self-expression mostly by imitation, as an extension of language---a learned or adopted accent, skillfully used as a tool of communication. This, of course, leaves the door wide open for falsity and senseless, frivolous laughter, so common among those who are in the world, trying to please the world. However, this false tone is easily detected by the pure in heart, and should serve as encouragement to purge our hearts of all that is not the truth. It is exactly because we are no longer in the world, lovers of the world, that we are strongly admonished to no longer to "laugh" as the world.

But, as the words of St John indicate, "If the thoughts and inclinations of my heart are in accord with God's truth or with the will of my God; if I completely change the false, impious thoughts and inclinations of my heart into true ones, pleasing to God," then that true, pure, fullness of joy will fill me, and, perhaps, controlled by the Spirit of Truth, express beautiful laughter as my enjoyment of Love's delight in truth. In this sense, shared joy, just as shared mourning, would confirm one's compassion, and unity in the bond of love.

Yes, Love heals. At its own discretion, it may use the medicine of laughter. That is, because generous Love is also patient, and kind.

Submitted out of reverence for Christ,

Learner

[Ken McRae]

Rarely did he smile at anything, and if he did so, he would say, 'Lord, forgive me, wretch that I am, for I have sinned before you.'

I was reading the following earlier tonight and deemed it worth while to post here in this thread. It concerns the light-hearted, almost humourous manner in which St. Ambrose was inclined to speak and teach:-

Excerpts from the Instructions of Saint Ambrose of Optina
http://www.holy-transfiguration.org/library_en/saints_optina.html

The counsels and instructions with which the elder Ambrose healed all those who came to him with faith, were offered by him either in private conversations, or in general to all those who surrounded him, in the most simple, terse and often joking manner. It should be noted that a joking tone in the elder’s instructional speech was his trademark. “How should we live?” – the elder was bombarded from all sides with this universal and highly important question. As was his wont, he responded jokingly: “To live means not to grieve, not to judge anyone, not to offend anyone, and show respect to all.” Such a tone often caused frivolous listeners to smile. But if one ponders this instruction more deeply, one can find in it a profound meaning.

“Not to grieve,” i.e. for our hearts not to be burdened with the sorrows and misfortunes that are man’s inevitable lot on earth, but to direct our hearts to the sole source of eternal sweetness – to God; in this manner, even when faced with innumerable and varied misfortunes, man can comfort himself by humbling himself and finding inner peace. “Not to judge,” “not to offend,” – there is nothing more common among men than being judgmental and offensive – those twin offspring of destructive pride. Of themselves they are sufficient to push a man’s soul down to the depths of hell; but, by the way, they are often not even considered to be sins. “Show respect to all” – echoes the apostle’s commandment: to honor each other with dignity and respect (Romans 12:10).

Gathering all these ideas into one, we see that in the above mentioned saying the elder primarily preached humility – the basis of spiritual life, the source of all virtues, without which, according to St. John Chrysostome, it is impossible to be saved. When asked the general question: “How should we live?” – the elder sometimes answered in a slightly different way: “We should live without hypocrisy, conduct ourselves in an exemplary manner, and thus we will be on the right track, otherwise we will lose the game.” “We must, - the elder also said, - live on this earth like a spinning wheel: it slightly touches the earth at only one point, while all the rest tend to go upward; while we lay down on the ground and are unable to get up.” And these instructions, too, urged people to strive to attain humility.