Thomas Carroll
03-02-2007, 12:55 AM
Dearest fathers and brethren in Christ,
I recently acquired a small green booklet entitled: Bishop Theophanes the Recluse, On Prayer: Extracts from the book "The Nature of the Spiritual Life, And How To Adapt Oneself To It". The publisher is anonymous. Having found the following passage particularly helpful, I would be most grateful if anyone could clarify what Saint Theophan means by 'books which explain the various types of work of this nature' and say whether such books are available in English or Greek.
Asking your prayers,
Thomas
XI. Everyday occupations. (From Letter 49)
There is amongst us a belief -- indeed almost universal, that as soon as one begins to do something at home or outside, one leaves the realm of things Godly and pleasing to God. Because of this, whenever the desire is born to live in a manner pleasing to God or the conversation turns up on this subject, people usually assume that if one would do so in earnest, one must flee from society, flee from home -- into the desert or the forest. However, neither the one nor the other is true. Domestic and social activities, on which depends the very existence of home and of society, are things ordained by God and their performance is not a departure into a sphere displeasing to God, but is an activity within His province.
The result of such a wrong belief is that people just do not trouble to think about God in the course of domestic or social duties. I see that this false idea possesses you too. I beg of you then to reject it and to embrace the conviction that everything you do in the home or outside in the social sphere, as a daughter, or a sister, or now as a citizen of Moscow, is of God and pleasing to Him. For there are special commandments concerning everything that belongs to these spheres. And how can the fulfillment of commandments be displeasing to God? By this false belief you in fact make these activities displeasing to Him, because you do them not in the spirit that He wishes them to be done. God's affairs are done without any thought of God. As a result, they bring no spiritual benefit and at the same time take the mind away from Him.
Correct this idea then, and from now on start to do all work of this kind with the knowledge that there is a commandment to do all these things, and do them, as fulfilling God's commandment. When you so adjust yourself, then none of the activities of everyday life will remove your thoughts from God, but on the contrary will bring you nearer to Him. We all are servants of God. To each of us He has assigned a place and a function and looks to see how it is discharged. God is everywhere. And He observes you too. Bear that always in mind, and do every task, whatever it may be, as if it were given directly to you by God.
In this way do things about the house. And when someone comes or you yourself go out, keep in mind, in the first case, that God has sent you this person and is watching whether you receive and treat him in His way, and, in the second, that God has entrusted you with some task outside and is looking to see whether you will do it in the way He wishes.
If you so adjust yourself, neither domestic work nor an outside task, in short, will take your mind away from God but on the contrary everything will hold you close to Him, with the desire to execute the task in a manner pleasing to Him. You will do everything in the fear of God, and this fear will sustain your unceasing attention to Him.
As to what kind of work, whether within the family or outside it, is pleasing to God, I beg of you to make this quite clear to yourself by following the directions of books which explain the various types of work of this nature. Take care to distinguish between the proper kind of activities and those introduced by worldly-mindedness, by the passions, or by the desire to please people and this world. But after the firm resolution expressed by you to live in a way pleasing to God you will not need, of course, any special warnings against such activities.
I recently acquired a small green booklet entitled: Bishop Theophanes the Recluse, On Prayer: Extracts from the book "The Nature of the Spiritual Life, And How To Adapt Oneself To It". The publisher is anonymous. Having found the following passage particularly helpful, I would be most grateful if anyone could clarify what Saint Theophan means by 'books which explain the various types of work of this nature' and say whether such books are available in English or Greek.
Asking your prayers,
Thomas
XI. Everyday occupations. (From Letter 49)
There is amongst us a belief -- indeed almost universal, that as soon as one begins to do something at home or outside, one leaves the realm of things Godly and pleasing to God. Because of this, whenever the desire is born to live in a manner pleasing to God or the conversation turns up on this subject, people usually assume that if one would do so in earnest, one must flee from society, flee from home -- into the desert or the forest. However, neither the one nor the other is true. Domestic and social activities, on which depends the very existence of home and of society, are things ordained by God and their performance is not a departure into a sphere displeasing to God, but is an activity within His province.
The result of such a wrong belief is that people just do not trouble to think about God in the course of domestic or social duties. I see that this false idea possesses you too. I beg of you then to reject it and to embrace the conviction that everything you do in the home or outside in the social sphere, as a daughter, or a sister, or now as a citizen of Moscow, is of God and pleasing to Him. For there are special commandments concerning everything that belongs to these spheres. And how can the fulfillment of commandments be displeasing to God? By this false belief you in fact make these activities displeasing to Him, because you do them not in the spirit that He wishes them to be done. God's affairs are done without any thought of God. As a result, they bring no spiritual benefit and at the same time take the mind away from Him.
Correct this idea then, and from now on start to do all work of this kind with the knowledge that there is a commandment to do all these things, and do them, as fulfilling God's commandment. When you so adjust yourself, then none of the activities of everyday life will remove your thoughts from God, but on the contrary will bring you nearer to Him. We all are servants of God. To each of us He has assigned a place and a function and looks to see how it is discharged. God is everywhere. And He observes you too. Bear that always in mind, and do every task, whatever it may be, as if it were given directly to you by God.
In this way do things about the house. And when someone comes or you yourself go out, keep in mind, in the first case, that God has sent you this person and is watching whether you receive and treat him in His way, and, in the second, that God has entrusted you with some task outside and is looking to see whether you will do it in the way He wishes.
If you so adjust yourself, neither domestic work nor an outside task, in short, will take your mind away from God but on the contrary everything will hold you close to Him, with the desire to execute the task in a manner pleasing to Him. You will do everything in the fear of God, and this fear will sustain your unceasing attention to Him.
As to what kind of work, whether within the family or outside it, is pleasing to God, I beg of you to make this quite clear to yourself by following the directions of books which explain the various types of work of this nature. Take care to distinguish between the proper kind of activities and those introduced by worldly-mindedness, by the passions, or by the desire to please people and this world. But after the firm resolution expressed by you to live in a way pleasing to God you will not need, of course, any special warnings against such activities.