Beneath the Shelter of the Most High. Priest Daniel Sysoev

Priest

DANIEL SYSOEV

Beneath the Shelter of the Most High EXPLANATION OF SELECTED PSALMS

Part II

Translated by Priest Nathan Williams

Daniel Sysoev Inc. New Jersey, 2018

Approved for publication by the Publications Board of the Russian Orthodox Church PB 11-116-1697

С 95

Priest Daniel Sysoev Explanation of Selected Psalms. In Four Parts. Part 2: Beneath the Shelter of the Most High. — New Jersey, Daniel Sysoev Inc, 2018. — 128 pp.

ISBN 978-5-4279-0070-9

Explanation of psalms 90 and 103. This book examines the issues of trust in God and of His protection, the struggle against fear and despondency, and the creation and rule of the universe.

“The Psalter is suitable for any good work. If you wish to rejoice and praise God, here too you will find the right words in the Psalter. if you are in confusion and do not know what to do, the Psalter will teach you understanding.”

—Saint Basil the Great

Protected by copyright law.

Reproduction of this book in whole or in part is prohibited.

Any violations of this law will be prosecuted.

© Daniel Sysoev Inc, 2018 © Yulia Sysoeva, 2018

CONTENTS BENEATH THE SHELTER OF THE MOST HIGH Explanation of Psalm 90. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Life as a Song. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 God is our Intercessor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 How to Trust God Completely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Our Greatest Weapon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Fear, Panic, and Sudden Misfortune . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 The Spirit of Despondency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Defense from the Invisible World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 THE CREATION AND RULING OF THE WORLD Explanation of Psalm 103 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Interrogating Nature by Torture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 The Image of a True Christian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Beauty Combined with Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 The Architecture of the Universe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Another Dimension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 The Nature of Spiritual Beings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Where is the Center of the Universe? . . . . . . . . . . . .74 God’s Care for the Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 The Wondrous Gifts of Nature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 Time, Day and Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94 Wisdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 The Sea of our Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 The Great Hope of Renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

BENEATH THE SHELTER OF THE MOST HIGH

Explanation of Psalm 90 Let us begin our study of Psalm 90. This psalm is widely known but poorly understood.

It is usually read without attention, like a sort of incantation. There exists a completely unfounded belief that mechanically reading the 90th psalm protects a person from the devil.

Let me remind you that in the Gospel Lucifer quotes this very psalm to Christ on the Mount of Temptation, attempting to entice Him to depart from God by performing false miracles.

Psalm 90 does have a certain protective effect, but this stems from its content. A person who keeps the commandments described in Psalm 90 is protected against the attacks of all the powers of evil, and becomes the strongest being in this world. For what do the powers of darkness employ? Why are they able to influence a person? A person’s body may be influenced by many different factors. This is through divine providence, which employs various outward circumstances for a person’s benefit and the salvation of his soul. We know that sicknesses, joys, sorrows, and successes are sent by God 4

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so that a person might be changed, cleansed, transfigured, and become a godlike being. In this lies the meaning of both sorrows and joys.

However, that which matters most in a person (his soul and his spiritual life) is determined by the state of his will. We cannot will ourselves to be sick or not, but we can will ourselves to fall into despondency or not, to get drunk or to be sober, to be joyful or sorrowful. And the fiercest attacks of the devil are those launched against the emotional and spiritual sphere.

Illness is far less grievous that despondency.

The loss of a loved one is far less grievous than the anguish or despair that beset us afterward.

For this reason it is more important to defend our spiritual world from attack by the powers of darkness, and this defense is naturally possible only beneath the protection of God, as it is written in Psalm 90.

When a person abides beneath the protection of God, living in the help of God, his body also is defended. As we know, the Lord defends and preserves our bodies. Even ordinary formal logic tells us that our chances of living as long as we have were remarkably slim. When a baby is born he first begins to crawl. I imagine any attentive mother or father has noticed the vast array of lethal objects surrounding their 5

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child. There are knives, corners of chairs and tables, electrical outlets, windowsills, pills, various chemicals. A person is surrounded by countless opportunities to die, yet he frequently lives to a ripe old age. This is because God preserves men’s bodies as well.

Nevertheless, the main thing to consider is our soul and our inner life. These are not theoretical ideas, which we read about and think, “That is all well and good, but the main thing right now is to keep my body healthy.”

The very phrase, “Your health comes first” presupposes that health must be twofold— of both soul and body. This is also true of unchurched people, though they understand it but little. It is clear to any person that if he is glowing with physical health, yet everyone around him despises him, betrays him, insults him, and degrades him, his outward health will afford him little joy. Even in ordinary health, which people so desperately desire, the soul is a most important factor. Without the component of the soul there can be no true health.

Especially for us Christians, who know that what matters most is the soul’s salvation, the question of protecting the soul is of primary importance.

An unprotected soul leads to bodily, spiritual, and societal ills.

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Life as a Song

LIFE AS A SONG

Thus, Psalm 90 is titled as follows: A Canticle Praise of David. Without Superscription among the Hebrews. What is a “canticle praise”—that is, praise of song? We know that there is such a thing as praise of life—when a person is praised with gifts.

Donations to a church are praise to God that we render by deeds. Praise may be offered through words of thanksgiving, or it may be manifested through song.

Once a monk who had taken a vow of silence, whom all praised for this spiritual gift, spoke these remarkable words: “Small children cry, laymen chatter, monks are silent, and saints sing.” This is truly the case. The highest state of man is not merely silence, but singing. Each time at the Liturgy we hear the words, I shall chant unto my God for as long as I have my being (Ps. 145:2), meaning, “I shall sing for as long as I exist.” The Russians had a saying: “He lives as though he were singing a song.” The state of life when it flows like a song befits human nature. A song is a remarkable combination of rhythm, melody, and meaning. If the melody is beautiful but has no meaning, it is impossible to listen to the song for long. On the other hand, if it has meaning but the music is something along the lines of 7

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heavy metal or the sounds of construction work, the words will not be absorbed. For this reason I do not think the attempt to create a hybrid of Christianity and rock music a favorable one, since however fine the words may be their meaning is squelched by the accompanying rock music. A song is precisely what unites body, soul, and spirit in a person, in a cohesive manifestation of his spiritual energies.

He that dwelleth in the help of the Most High shall abide in the shelter of the God of heaven. He shall say unto the Lord: Thou art my helper and my refuge.

He is my God, and I will hope in Him. For He shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunters and from every troubling word (Ps. 90:1–3). What does he that dwelleth in the help of the Most High mean? How should this be translated? He who lives with the help of the Most High, beneath the shelter of the God of heaven, will find his yard. The Slavonic word rendered here as “abide,” vodvoritsya, means to find one’s dvor, or yard.* Where does this concept come from? For example, a sheep goes out to pasture, grazes, and at night is driven into the yard, or sheepfold. Here this is said of a man who lives in the help of the Most High, striving to establish his whole life upon reliance on the *

Also translated as “court,” “courtyard,” or “household.” –Trans.

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power of the Almighty; a man who lives not by his own abilities, but who calls upon God. People often say, “I will do this and that, which are up to me, and then if I fail I will ask God for help.”

This kind of person is not promised that he will find his yard with God. A person who turns to God only as a last resort is unlikely to find this promised yard. If you will, his compass for navigating the spiritual worlds has been broken.

He will be unable to find the path that leads to these yards, because he did not take his bearings during life. He has strayed from the path.

And so David says that only one who lives by the help of the power of the Most High will find his yard beneath the shelter of God. That is, his yard will have a roof, and the roof of this house will be the Lord. God needs nothing from us other than our trust. Being fully self-sufficient and needing nothing, the Lord needs nothing from man as well. He can become our roof, our shelter, if we wish to live in His help, doing all our deeds and guarding our thoughts with His help. All our plans (societal, familial, personal, spiritual, bodily) must be carried out with the help of God. Do you recall our discussion of how to correctly wash the dishes? To the singing of “O Theotokos Virgin.” The most excellent prayer rope may be used when doing housework, saying 9

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the prayer of Jesus at each sweep of the broom or pass with the vacuum cleaner. Try it; the timing works out quite neatly. Concerning this Scripture says, “He who lives in the help of God Almighty, of God Who is above all things, will be beneath the shelter of God and will find the God of heaven.”

Incidentally, why are these names of the Lord mentioned here? This usage of the names of God is also not by chance. The Most High and the God of Heaven is that same God Who surpasses all our understanding. Frequently the power of His help is so tremendous and unfailing that we become accustomed to it and cease to notice it. An example of a vastness that we do not usually notice is the sky, which encompasses everything. In the same way the power of the God of Heaven, the Lord of the Heavens, is so great that frequently we do not see it, yet it encompasses us on all sides. For this reason the psalm uses these words, so that we might not think that anyone can do us harm. If our shelter is God Almighty, if, as it is said in the book of Deuteronomy, the eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms (Deut. 33:27), then we naturally have nothing to fear. This is conveyed in the term “servant of God.” A servant of God is one who no longer serves anyone but 10

God is our Intercessor

God. He is the exclusive property of God and is not subject to any worldly elements or forces. He is entirely in His glory.

GOD IS OUR INTERCESSOR

What will this kind of person say to God? He shall say unto the Lord: Thou art my helper and my refuge. He is my God, and I will hope in Him (Ps. 90:2). A person who senses the shelter of God, who senses that he is approaching the heavenly courts, will say, “You, O Lord”—in the Hebrew text, Yaweh, meaning He Who Is—“are my Intercessor.” To the introspective mind these words are rather scandalous. To this day pagans are indignant: “How can the supreme Alpha of all that exists, the pure Spirit, the absolute Intellect, possibly be your intercessor?” It is customary to think that God is so great that He will not trouble Himself with trifles. Indeed, if we try to assign exact values to everything, who can compare with God? Before Him all men are less than specks of dust. Nevertheless, God Who Is is the Intercessor for man. The supreme intercession of God was made on the Cross, when He interceded for man and Himself became the Mediator for us, as the apostle Paul writes: For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin (2 Cor. 5:21).

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Thus, God is our intercessor. What do you suppose intercessor means? It is very simple.

A person goes about his affairs, boldly serving God, and when the enemy attacks him it is the enemy who finds himself in a most unpleasant situation. He attacks one whom he sees, but encounters Him Whom he did not see. He comes up against the Supreme God, Who intercedes for—that is, takes the place of—that person. An intercessor is one who takes the place of a person. For this very reason a person says to the Lord, “You are my Intercessor and my Refuge. You are my God, and I will trust in You.” My refuge (Ps. 90:2). Do you understand why? When everything falls apart, when no more strength or hope remains, we say, “God is my Refuge.” Just as during the war people would flee to bomb shelters and wait out the danger there, we too have a similar, eternal Shelter—God, to Whose peace we can flee when all the world collapses. Can a person really flee from the complete disintegration of all matter?

Imagine—the whole world will be rolled up as a scroll (Rev. 6:14); the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up (2 Pet. 3:10). To where will a person flee? Only to the eternal Refuge, Who is outside the bounds of all change.

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He is my God, and I will hope in Him (Ps. 90:2).

The Hebrew word for God means “source of power and might.� You are my strength, the source of my energy. You are my Commander, my Lord. I hope in You and in You alone. Here again we may recall the words of the Bible, which we frequently repeat: Trust ye not in princes, in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation (Ps. 145:3). It is a grave sin to rely on a person. God promises to curse him who trusts in men. Above all we must not trust in ourselves.

For He shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunters and from every troubling word (Ps. 90:3).

How is the protection of God manifested?

Firstly, He delivers from the snare of the hunters.

As fishermen catch fish in their nets, so also temptation sometimes encroaches on all sides like a net. Situations arise in which a person is beset from all sides, driven into a corner, with no avenue of escape. In these cases there always remains an escape into another dimension.

Remember how in books and films the heroes find themselves in hopeless situations, but in the end they miraculously escape? Strictly speaking, a miraculous escape is found only in the real world, and that is the escape to God. If you run to the Lord you will be safe. As it is said in the book of the Proverbs of King Solomon, the name of the 13

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Lord is a strong tower (Prov. 18:10). The snares of the hunter are temptations, attacks of the devil, who lays siege to a person from all sides so that he is left with no choice but to commit the sin, to perish, to simply vanish from the earth. And here the Lord provides a way out.

He likewise delivers from every troubling word (Ps. 90:3). What is this? A troubling word can be grumbling, words sown in me by the enemy.

Often he does not attack me from without, but attempts to blow up the fortress from within, trying to rouse internal troubles—an inner rebellion.* From this rebellion, from these rebellious, troubling words, God delivers us.

But there is another kind of troubling word, and David has this in mind as well: people conspire to plot against us, rising up in rebellion in order to destroy us. In the book of Psalms there is a terrible episode describing how evildoers convened against me, and the words of their mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in their heart: their words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords (cf. Ps. 54:22). The man ... who ate of my bread, hath magnified the lifting of heels against me (Ps. 40:10), and all mine enemies whispered against me, against me they devised evils for me. An unjust *

Translator’s note: In the Slavonic, the word troubling is rendered as myatezhna—“rebellious.”

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word they set against me: Can it be that he that sleepeth shall rise up again? (Ps. 40:8–9). There is a kind of rebellion where all men rise up against a single person. Why does David speak of this? Because it is hard for a person to go against everyone else. From this rebellious, troubling word God delivers. He delivers from the phenomenon where people advance en masse against the Creator. When everyone is doing evil, everyone is committing outrages, but there is one man who goes against the flow, then God helps him not to go with the crowd, not to be like everyone else.

He helps a person to preserve himself in purity, not to take part in rebellion, and gives him the strength to do this.

It actually requires tremendous strength to oppose evil. It is very hard inwardly to go against the flow, against what everyone is saying.

In these situations the devil loves to talk about “humility,” and he whispers, “What else can you do? It isn’t humble. Everyone says one thing, yet you do something else. It’s simply indecent; it’s impolite to behave like this; you are judging others. After all, it is said, ‘Judge not, lest ye be judged,’ yet you are judging the sin. You must not judge it.” These are those selfsame troubling, rebellious words from which God delivers. The most loathsome troubling words are not those 15

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of mere impudent boorishness, though this too occurs. Rather, they are these: “We are birds of a feather, you and I; we are old friends, childhood companions. We understand each other. This is all so normal as to not even bear talking about.

Everyone does it. Do you really think otherwise?”

These are troubling words that smother us. And God delivers us from them.

Yes, God is quite blunt here. With good reason the Word of God is said to be like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces (Jer. 23:29), and like a sword that slices all things in two (cf. Rev. 1:16).

God speaks through a person: “No, I am against that; I am not with you. I know that I am right, because I am with God.” After all, you know, evildoers ordinarily object: “It cannot be that everyone else is wrong and you alone are right.”

This is actually a reasonable argument. It never happens that one person alone is right while everyone else is wrong. This is possible however when you are not alone, but with God. Do you sense the difference? If one person goes against the world he is a schizophrenic, but if one person goes against the world together with God he is an ascetic champion. That is the difference.

A schizophrenic is a person who has reached the pinnacle of pridefulness, but an ascetic has reached the pinnacle of humility.

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It is interesting to note that in their extreme form pridefulness and humility are very similar.

It is with good reason that on ancient Italian tapestries the antichrist is depicted with the face of Christ, only twisted with evil. The fact is, ultimate evil and ultimate good are in a way very closely related. The difference is subtle.

For example, when the devil tempted Eve in paradise only five of his words did not come to pass: Ye shall not surely die (Gen. 3:4). The rest of his words—your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil (Gen. 3:5)—came to pass. Evil is nearly truth. Nearly. The devil employs not even half-truths, but ninety-percent truths, because it is far simpler to embed evil in something good. If you try to poison someone using barley mush you are naturally doomed to failure—not because the poison is ineffective, but simply because few people like barley mush.

A rich cake, on the other hand, is a far easier way to poison someone.

With His shoulders will He overshadow thee, and under His wings shalt thou have hope (Ps. 90:4).

With his shoulders will He overshadow thee. The word overshadow contains the word shadow. That is, His shoulders will cover you with a shadow.

The symbolism is clear, is it not? A great giant stands, shielding with his shoulders a little fellow 17

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hiding behind him. This is saying that the Lord will cover you with His shoulders, protecting you from attacks with His might. You will hide in His shadow, beneath His protection.

HOW TO TRUST GOD COMPLETELY

And under His wings shalt thou have hope (Ps. 90:4). This means that when you find yourself beneath the wings of God you will find hope. This is a most interesting image that David gives us. Many ask, “What hope is there for us? Life is so frightening these days! There is no one to rely upon; people let you down, life lets you down, everything changes.” Remember the terrible 1990s—the maelstrom into which we were sucked? But Scripture teaches us, “Beneath His wings you will find hope.” As a hen gathers her chicks beneath her wings when a hawk attacks, hiding them, so also God defends a person with His wings. The wings of God are His mighty power, which raises up a man to the heavens, making him heavenly.

Ordinarily the wings of the Lord are thought to be His strength, which is manifested through the twofold commandment of love for God and neighbor. It is beneath the wings of God, beneath His protection, that a person will find 18

How to Trust God Completely

hope, by striving to rely solely on God, making his private plans solely in God. Alas, this is not how we usually act. As a rule we have God’s plan and then we have our own life plan. We think that there is church life with God and then there is everyday life. And the unspoken consensus is that these are completely different things and should not be confused.

A person once told me that it was completely impossible to pray to God for a solution to his particular problem. This is an example of a person who actually separated the world into God’s world and his own.

The Bible however requires that we take God into account when arranging our practical lives.

Suppose a critical situation arises: what do we do? We reason as follows: “I .will do this and that, but everything depends on God.” We need to say these words aloud. I emphasize this, because people usually object, “We already do all that.”

No “I do it alreadys” or “it goes without sayings” are going to cut it. Experience shows that these things do not in fact “go without saying” for a person. Theoretical doctrines remain theoretical unless you simply say them aloud. God has given us the gift of words so that we might precisely understand the world. The gift of words helps to create a system of identification. Words give us the ability to understand the world. Thus, if 19

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we do not come to know God through words, if we do not outline His actions, we will succeed in nothing. How are we to do this? Suppose we are preparing for a trip. I am worried, and so I whisper to myself, “Various dangers lie ahead, but I will not be afraid, because this matter is pleasing to God. O God, I place this matter under Your personal protection.”

There is a well-known example from The Spiritual Meadow. “In Alexandria there lived a certain lover of Christ who was exceedingly God-fearing, compassionate, and hospitable to monks. He had an exceedingly humble wife, who observed the fast each day, and a daughter about six years of age. Once this lover of Christ, being a merchant, departed for Constantinople. Leaving his wife, daughter, and one slave at home, he departed for the harbor. Before he left to board the ship his wife asked, ‘In whose care do you leave us, my lord?’ Her husband replied, ‘In the care of our Lady the Theotokos.’

“One day when the wife was sitting at handiwork, with her daughter beside her, at the instigation of the devil the slave decided to kill the woman and the girl, take their wealth, and flee. Taking a knife from the kitchen he went to the dining room where his mistress was sitting. The moment he reached the door of the dining room he was suddenly struck blind, and 20

Our Greatest Weapon

he could not make his way to either the dining room or the kitchen. For the space of an hour he tried to force himself with blows to move from the spot, and at last he began calling out to his mistress, ‘Come here.’ Surprised that the slave was standing in the doorway calling out instead of coming in to her, she said, ‘You come here instead,’ not knowing that he had been stricken blind. The slave began adjuring her to come to him; she responded by swearing that she would not. Then the slave said to her, ‘At least send me the girl.’ She did not do this either, and said, ‘If you wish, come here yourself.’ Then, being completely helpless, the slave struck himself with the knife and collapsed on the spot. Seeing what had happened, his mistress raised a cry. The neighbors came running, and soon people came from the praetorium. They found the slave barely alive, and they learned everything from him.

All glorified the Lord, Who had wrought this miracle and saved the mother and her child.”10 This is an example of this biblical commandment in practice.

OUR GREATEST WEAPON

With a shield will His truth encompass thee (Ps. 90:4). In this interesting expression the word shield actually refers to a weapon. At the 21

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beginning of the world, when God drove men out of paradise, He placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way (Gen. 3:24). Similarly, a person who hopes on God is surrounded by the fiery sword of God, just as paradise was. He becomes impregnable against the attacks of the enemy.

The life of Saint Justina relates that after the third attempt of the demons to ensnare her and lead her into fornication Cyprian himself went to her in the form of a bird. He was then a sorcerer, with a legion of demons under his command. Cyprian had been asked to cast a spell to induce Justina to commit fornication with a young man. Justina however was a Christian maiden who had taken a vow of virginity. First Cyprian sent a demon, who set about enflaming her flesh. Justina went to stand in prayer and the demon fled. Then Cyprian sent the prince of the demons. She again went to stand in prayer, and he too fled. A third time, after exchanging angry words with Satan, Cyprian went himself to see what was happening and why his sorcery had been ineffective, taking the form of a bird. He naturally did not turn into a bird, but diverted the eyes of those around him so that he would appear to them to be a bird—hypnotized them, so to speak. This is in fact how shapeshifting works.

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It is not that sorcerers turn into something else, but rather that they achieve this through ordinary power of suggestion. Examples of this have long been known—the renowned hypnotist Messing successfully withdrew one hundred thousand rubles using a blank sheet of paper.

Cyprian likewise used the power of suggestion.

The demons bore him in their arms, but when they reached the third floor where Justina lived they dropped him and fled, because their past encounters with her had been most unpleasant.

Poor Cyprian fell, hurt himself badly, and went running off to Satan to complain. This is an example of how truth defends like a weapon.

The prayer of Justina became a fiery sword, and the demons were afraid to come near her.

Anyone who has been to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra or to the Optina Elders may have seen possessed people being brought there, and how while still a ways off they begin to shriek and to yell that they are frightened. With my own eyes I saw people trying to drag a possessed person there. Some of you may recall that just before you reach the Lavra there is an underground walkway beneath the road with a stairway next to it. While still at this stairway he began to shriek, yelling in a deep voice that he was afraid of Sergius, that he did not want to go there, and not 23

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to torment him. In other words, the demons are afraid to come within several hundred meters of Sergius of Radonezh, because the truth of God encompasses the venerable Sergius like a weapon, just as was promised in the Psalter.

But why does the psalm refer to His truth (Ps. 90:4)? This is actually a very important point.

The fact is that a person must be encompassed specifically by the truth of God. In other words, the mind of man must be completely protected by the sacred dogmas. People often ask, “How should we defend ourselves against the devil?” and they ask about various prayers for blessing their home. This is all proper and necessary, but it is frequently not enough, because our chief defense is knowledge—not ordinary knowledge, but knowledge of the sacred truth of God. This is indeed a very interesting point. The fact is that the truth of God possesses defensive properties.

Holy Hierarch Theophan the Recluse says that we must immerse our minds in the sacred dogmas and learn each dogma in intimate detail. Why is there no room in the Church for private theological opinions? Because private theological opinions, fabrications, cannot defend one from the devil, while God’s absolute truth can. It is essential to immerse the mind in the fullness of the dogmas, inasmuch as the 24

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dogmas in and of themselves form a fiery sword around a person. The dogmas are founded not on some earthly fabrication or even some conception of the Church, for the Church is not given the authority to create dogmas. Even an Ecumenical Council cannot invent a single new dogma. The Church received from the Heavenly Bridegroom the fullness of Revelation, which it merely preserves meticulously. The labors of saints and theologians are intended to eliminate every possible erroneous explanation concerning the kernel of truth.

And so it is said that His truth shall encompass you as a shield. The truth of God will defend you like a flaming sword, cleansing you with its fire. This makes sense even on a rational level. For example, how can the dogma of original sin protect a person? The answer is elementary: that person will not become conceited. He will not say that “man has a proud sound”;* he will not rely on his own abilities, since he knows that inside he is full of decay; he will know why one cannot rely on other people; he will not desire to someday become superhuman. He objectively evaluates himself and hence is free from the deceit of humanism, *

A line from a play by Soviet writer Maxim Gorky. –Trans.

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which claims that one ought to hope in oneself, rely on oneself, trust only in oneself. Dogma burns away this diabolical attack.

Or suppose panic overwhelms a person, and he becomes afraid of death, for example.

Can dogma help in this case? The resurrection of the dead is the most important dogma, and here it burns away our fear. The fear of death comes, and we say, “But we will rise again. We not only have an immortal soul; our body too will be resurrected by the Lord. What is there to fear?� We must fear not death, but rather having no good defense at the dread Judgment Seat of Christ. That is, all the dogmas of God are needed in order to wholly and completely protect a person. We have the primary dogma concerning God the Holy Trinity, God Who created the world, Who rules the world, Who redeemed the world, Who sanctifies the people in this world, Who will judge the world and restore it.

This dogma is manifested in baptism, for we are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In the biblical understanding the commandments of God are inseparable from dogma. In practice, dogma is in fact manifested through the commandments. For example, why should people love each other? Because 26

Страх, паника и внезапная беда

God is love (1 Jn. 4:8). And why is God love?

Because He is the Holy Trinity. This can be summarized as follows: “We must love one another because we believe in God the Trinity.”

Why must one be just? Because God is the just Lawgiver (Jas. 4:12). It is a great mistake to think that the commandments and the dogmas exist independently of each other. This is an invention of the scholastics, who introduced the concept of autonomous ethics. Autonomous ethics are not sustainable! When people try to put them into practice they are incapable of lasting for long. Remember the ten commandments of the builders of communism? These were an attempt at autonomous ethics, which happily failed and could not have done otherwise.

FEAR, PANIC, AND SUDDEN MISFORTUNE

Further on we read, Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day, nor for the thing that walketh in darkness, nor for the mishap and demon of noonday (Ps. 90:5–6). When you are protected by God, surrounded by God’s truth, you will not fear the terror by night. The 90th psalm is read when panic comes by night or by day, but not because it is an incantation.

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Rather, the psalm reminds us of Who our Protector is.

Why do fears arise by night? Fear comes when reason relaxes. In the book of the Wisdom of King Solomon it is said that fear is nothing else but a betraying of the succours which reason offereth (Wisd. 17:12). When reason grows lax, panic ensues. Do you remember Goya’s words: “The sleep of reason produces monsters”? This is truly so, and I wish once again to emphasize the role of reason, of the intellect, since there has arisen a terrible, demonic trend of repudiating and disdaining it. This trend is just what the enemy needs. Man’s reason has grown lax, and he is easily ensnared by the devil. The logic is elementary and perfectly clear.

For the arrow that flieth by day (Ps. 90:5). The Lord likewise defends us from the arrow that flies by day. How many instances there were during World War II when help was sent to those who read the 90th psalm! Bullets were found to have been stopped by a sheet of paper bearing Psalm 90—merely a page folded in quarters. God literally does exactly as He promised. The Lord defends both from the physical arrow that flies by day and from outright attacks of the devil— from various occult attacks, the onslaughts of the enemy.

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Fear, Panic, and Sudden Misfortune

For the thing that walketh in darkness (Ps. 90:6).

The misfortune that comes suddenly in darkness is unforeseen grief, which throws a person off balance, casting him into despair. It is well known that often the devil unexpectedly deals a cunning blow when a person least expects it.

It is interesting to note that righteous men ordinarily expect the worst. In the book of Job we find these words: For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me (Job 3:25). Thus we see that Job expected that all his children would perish, that he himself would fall ill, and that all his property would be lost. He knew that man is mortal, and that death can overtake a person in childhood, in youth, or in old age. The righteous man is aware of this, and he makes no plans of this sort: “I am certain that I will live to be eighty and will do this and that.” Rather, he reasons thus: “I am alive now, and glory to God, but anything at all may happen tomorrow.”

This is an example of trusting in God. A person simply knows for certain that nothing on earth is constant. He lives in a corruptible, uncertain world, which is ready to betray and disappoint him, and therefore he naturally expects no less.

Job had the remembrance of death. Note that we frequently understand the remembrance of 29

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death to mean remembrance of our own death.

This is incorrect. The remembrance of death lies in understanding that everything on earth is corruptible, and this consequently precludes attachment to earthly things. This is what constitutes the sober remembrance of death. To think only of one’s own death is a mistake.

THE SPIRIT OF DESPONDENCY

For the mishap and demon of noonday (Ps. 90:6).

What does this mean? The Greek word here rendered as mishap means sudden sickness, often understood to mean the plague. Thus, here it is said that the Lord will protect you from sudden sickness, from sudden affliction by illness. You will be protected when others fall. And He will preserve you from the demon of noonday (Ps. 90:6). Who is this demon? It is the spirit of despondency, who comes after noonday.

Incidentally, have you perhaps noticed that there is a time after noonday (that is, after three o’clock in the afternoon), when the sun is at its hottest, that a demon comes? It attacks monks somewhat earlier, since they rise earlier, depending on the number of hours that have passed since the person rose from sleep. If monks rise at six in the morning, this spirit comes earlier. If 30

The Spirit of Despondency

a person rises later, the spirit comes at around four o’clock. Have you felt ennui or despondency come over you at four or five o’clock? John of the Ladder writes, “A doctor visits the sick in the morning, but despondency visits ascetics about noonday.”11 This is very important to know, since everyone experiences this.

Thus, we have seen the proper remedy for despondency. It is not to convince oneself, “Everything will be okay, everything will be fine.

I need to believe in myself, I need to rely on myself, I need to love myself, to swear to myself, to offer sacrifices to myself.” Nor is there any merit to the current popular idea that when a person is unhappy, when he is despondent, he needs to drop everything and help those around him—that supposedly he immediately needs to call someone on the telephone, or to go visit someone. The result of all these phone calls and visits is merely that the “doctor” standing at our left shoulder finds opportunity to spread our despondency to others. It is a practical means of infecting others with despondency.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but unto thee shall it not come nigh. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and thou shalt see the reward of sinners. For Thou, O Lord, art my hope. Thou madest the Most High 31

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thy refuge (Ps. 90:7–9). Through King David the Lord says that on the left of a person who hopes in God a thousand will fall, and at his right hand tens of thousands will fall, but misfortune will not come near him. All around are death and destruction, as at a nuclear blast. In an instant tens of thousands of people will perish, but no misfortune will approach you. The Lord will preserve you amid all misfortunes and temptations. You will not only be preserved, but will also understand why this is happening to you.

Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and thou shalt see the reward of sinners (Ps. 90:8). You will see how the Lord rewards sinners according to their deeds. Here we may recall that the real God Whom we know from the Bible, through the holy fathers and our worship, is not only the God of love, but is also the God of recompense, and punishment, and mercy, and boundless forgiveness. The true God is far richer than the picture that people paint in their own minds.

This verse says that you will see the purpose of the misfortunes that occur. This counters the allegation that we cannot judge the reasons for what is happening around us. For example, a catastrophe occurs and we hear people say, “Under no circumstances can we say that this 32

Defense from the Invisible World

happened due to our sins.” The logic, I think, is clear: heaven forbid that others should put two and two together. The chief task of modern mass media is to stop people from seeing the reason for current events, to make them forget how to draw accurate conclusions from events. When mankind completely forgets how to see the recompense of sinners, then the Lord will put an end to history. If people cease to distinguish between good and evil, if this all becomes lumped together for them, teaching people will become impossible by definition. They will lose the ability to be saved. People often ask, “Why will the world come to an end?” The answer is very simple: “The world will end because people confuse good with evil, the will of God with the will of the devil, and will think that it is all basically the same thing. The main thing is to be tolerant, to be liberal, not to judge, and to respect the opinions of others.”

DEFENSE FROM THE INVISIBLE WORLD

For Thou, O Lord, art my hope. Thou madest the Most High thy refuge (Ps. 90:9). You yourself have made the Most High your refuge. You have firmly decided that for you the only refuge is the Lord God. A person decides this and acts accordingly.

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In all complicated situations he calls upon God, making no attempt to manage on his own: “O Lord, I am a sinful man, but for Your name’s sake save me—not because I am a good person, but because You are merciful.” This is the basis of any Christian prayer.

No evils shall come nigh thee, and no scourge shall draw nigh unto thy dwelling (Ps. 90:10). The Slavonic translation erroneously reads “shall not draw nigh unto thy body.” Literally the text reads “thy tabernacle,” that is, your tent. Our more detailed Psalter justifiably contains the footnote “habitation.” “Scourge” refers to the plague, for example. A correct rendition would be as follows: “No evil shall come near you, and in your home there shall be no sores, no people putrefying from the plague, from pox, or from cholera.”

Here we are presented with vivid imagery that was well understood at that time, when terrible epidemics ravaged the planet. There have always been many illnesses, and today they are on the rise, since humankind is weakening. We cure one illness and several more arise in its place.

Why will all these evils not befall a person?

David explains that this is brought about by a certain invisible world, which tangibly intervenes in the world of a man. For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways (Ps. 90:11).

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Defense from the Invisible World

God will command His angels to preserve you in all your ways. The power that surrounds a person is not of himself, but of the angels who are guarding him. A person who believes in himself must rely on his own abilities, but the Lord is able to send an angel to one who believes in God. That is, the believer is completely beneath the Lord’s protection.

On their hands shall they bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone (Ps. 90:12).

Angels will raise you up and carry you, so that you will not even strike your foot against a stone in your path.

Upon the asp and basilisk shalt thou tread, and thou shalt trample upon the lion and dragon. For he hath set his hope on Me, and I will deliver him; I will shelter him because he hath known My name. He shall cry unto Me, and I will hearken unto him. I am with him in affliction, and I will rescue him and glorify him. With length of days will I satisfy him, and I will show him My salvation (Ps. 90:13–16). An asp is a venomous snake, though by one account it is a certain venomous creature which, according to ancient lore, fears singing and music, especially the music of the flute. Ancient legends relate that the asp has a poisonous tail, and when it hears the sound of a flute it stops its ears with its tail and thereby poisons itself. All legends aside, 35

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on Athos there actually is a tongue of an asp that heals people from snakebite. Water treated with this tongue is an excellent antidote: people drink the water and the effects of the venom cease.

This is a fact, and so the question of whether the asps of legend ever existed remains open.

David was naturally referring not only to the physical serpent, but also to evil spirits, the powers of evil, upon which a person will trample.

This is not merely an allegorical interpretation, but is also linked to the fact that in the Ancient East asps, basilisks, lions, and dragons were considered forms of demonic manifestation.

The animals themselves were not perceived as demons, but it was thought that evil spirits frequently took their forms. This is true, and they appear in these visages to this day.

Thus, David describes how the righteous man will deal with demons: he will tread upon the asp and basilisk and trample lions and dragons. The asp is usually considered the spirit of slander. The basilisk is the spirit of envy.

According to ancient tradition, the basilisk kills with its gaze. There is a folk belief that an envious gaze can inflict sickness, or the evil eye—not on every person, of course, but there is a well-known phenomenon where a person in an evil state can drive someone to hysteria. For example, 36

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a husband or wife comes home irritated: their home becomes a hell, and they may drive each other to the point of a heart attack. Sometimes they do this simply by yelling—a classic example of pseudo-evil eye. This of course refers not to the evil eye as such, but specifically to a state of hysteria or envy, which infects the soul of a person and then destroys the body as well.

In the Psalter it is promised that the righteous man will trample envy and slander— the spirits of envy and slander. Why must they be trampled? People are drawn into slander and envy through the attacks of the demons. Slander has now become the norm even among the Orthodox, which is of course a dreadful thing, and evil spirits strive to draw them into envy, as well. You have probably heard people say, “This is insufferable. How come he can do that and I cannot? It is a violation of social justice!” This is the action of that very basilisk, which is doing its best to sting you. The psalm says that he who hopes in God will trample him, crushing him with his feet. A person says, “With my God I will trample you.”

Finally, he who hopes in God will trample the most terrible enemies: the lion and the dragon. The lion is wrath, furious wrath, which a person permits himself. The dragon is the 37

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spirit of pridefulness. The dragon is in fact the devil, the diabolical spirit of pridefulness, the downfall of men. In this passage David explicitly expresses the same idea that we find in the Gospel: I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Lk. 10:19).

Note that this does not say that we will come to terms with the lion and dragon, but rather that with God’s help we will trample them, destroying their evil deeds. God never suggests that one can come to terms with evil—we deal with evil by crushing and trampling it. Why do Christians not fear the demons? Because we are promised that we will be able to trample demonic powers, magic, conjuring, sorcery, and all the attacks of the foes.

For he hath set his hope on Me, and I will deliver him; I will shelter him because he hath known My name (Ps. 90:14). A person who places all his hope on the Creator will be delivered by the Lord. God will shelter him, because that person has come to know His name.

This incidentally is a very interesting expression. What does it mean to know the name of God? In magic, for example, there is a belief that if you learn the name of your enemy you will be able to influence him. This is a parody 38

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of reality. In reality, of course, a name cannot alter a person, though names do connect people to each other. You may know that there is an excellent custom of sending lists of names to the altar for commemoration. Through a person’s name we ask that the Lord sustain him. The name serves as the key to the person, a designation of his person. It has already been said that without names we cannot come to know anyone. Here again the Lord says that a person has come to know Him and established a personal relationship with Him. God promises, “I will shelter him, because we have met in person.” This is the meaning of the phrase He hath known My name.

In the Acts of the Apostles there is an episode that occurred when Saul is on his way to arrest Christians. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? And he said, Who art Thou, Lord?

(Acts 9:3–5). This is an interesting question. If “Lord,” why does Paul ask, “Who art Thou?”

The meaning is this: “With what name are You about to reveal Yourself to me?” For God has a countless number of names—Yahweh, Elohim, Sabaoth, Adonai, All-sufficient, All-merciful, 39

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Avenging, Loving, Compassionate, Just. And so Saul asks, “With what name will Your infinite Person be revealed to me?” To this the Lord answers, I am Jesus Whom thou persecutest (Lk. 9:5).

I am revealing Myself to you with the name Jesus.

I am “Yahweh, come to save.”* “I am the Son and the Savior,” says the Lord, “and it is Me Whom you are persecuting.” Identification occurred: Saul learned the name of God. And so David says, “I will shelter him, for he has entered a personal relationship with Me. He cried out to Me, he recognized Me, and I sheltered him.” This is a very important point, one that permeates the entire Bible. In general it seems to me that the chief distinguishing feature of Christianity is the existence of personal, unbroken communion between man and God, Who is subject to neither time nor space. A person who has cried out to God, found God, known Him by name, and met with Him will receive shelter from the Lord. Remember how it was revealed to Mary Magdalene that men had been saved? She recognized Christ and cried out to Him after Christ cried out to her. Personal contact took place. She called Him Rabboni, which means “Teacher,” but it also *

Elsewhere the author notes that this is the Hebrew meaning of the name Jesus.—Trans.

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means something more. Translated literally it means “Supreme.” Rabboni in fact literally means “great.” “Teacher” is a secondary meaning of the word.

He shall cry unto Me, and I will hearken unto him. I am with him in affliction, and I will rescue him and glorify him (Ps. 90:15). Do you see what the Lord promises? One must not rely on oneself; it is better to forget oneself altogether. God promises: “He will cry out to Me and I will hear him. I will be with him in afflictions, I will sustain and strengthen him. I will draw him out of misfortunes and glorify him.”

With length of days will I satisfy him, and I will show him My salvation (Ps. 90:16). I will give him length of days, and ultimately I will show him My salvation, My saving glory. To what length of days does this refer? To eternity. The Lord promises to bestow true length of days. This refers not merely to a long life. Though this too is a sign of God’s blessing, frequently a long earthly life is accompanied by lengthy illness. Rather, this is referring to true length of days, the endless days of eternity, into which the person will enter.

These are the promises of God; this is how He promises to defend us. This is the prescription for attaining true godlikeness, and the reason why we must never fear anyone under any circumstances. Fear no one save God alone.

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The Creation and Ruling of the World

THE CREATION AND RULING OF THE WORLD

Explanation of Psalm 103 Psalm 103 marks the beginning of our evening worship, and hence is called the opening psalm. It describes how God created and rules the world.

It should be borne in mind that this psalm has two levels of meaning. The first is outward or literal, and it too is of tremendous significance for us. There is also a second, which pertains to our soul, to the inner life of man. The ancient pagan sages called man a microcosm. Holy Scripture does not deny that there is a link between man and the cosmos, but the relationship is different. Saint Gregory the Theologian said, “Man is a great world within a small one.�12 Not a small world within a great one, but vice versa. That is, man is a macrocosm.

It is the universe that is a microcosm. The universe is smaller than man, infinitely smaller than his soul. For this very reason that which exists in our universe is a symbol of what occurs in our soul. Visible realities reflect the invisible reality of our spirit. There exists a profound mystical link between the world and our spirit.

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The Creation and Ruling of the World

The psalm begins with these words: David’s.

Concerning the Formation of the World. In other words it is a psalm about the origin of the world, about its creation.

Bless the Lord, O my soul; O Lord my God, Thou hast been magnified exceedingly. Confession and majesty hast Thou put on, Who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment, Who stretchest out the heaven as it were a curtain; Who supporteth His chambers in the waters, Who appointeth the clouds for His ascent, Who walketh upon the wings of the winds, Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire, Who establisheth the earth in the sureness thereof; it shall not be turned back for ever and ever. The abyss like a garment is His mantle; upon the mountains shall the waters stand. At Thy rebuke they will flee, at the voice of Thy thunder shall they be afraid. The mountains rise up and the plains sink down, unto the place where Thou hast established them. Thou appointedst a bound that they shall not pass, neither return to cover the earth. He sendeth forth springs in the valleys; between the mountains will the waters run. They shall give drink to all the beasts of the field; the wild asses will wait to quench their thirst.

Beside them will the birds of the heaven lodge, from the midst of the rocks will they give voice. He watereth the mountains from His chambers; the earth shall be satisfied with the fruit of Thy works. He causeth the 43

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grass to grow for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men, to bring forth bread out of the earth; and wine maketh glad the heart of man. To make his face cheerful with oil; and bread strengtheneth man’s heart. The trees of the plain shall be satisfied, the cedars of Lebanon, which Thou hast planted. There will the sparrows make their nests; the house of the heron is chief among them. The high mountains are a refuge for the harts, and so is the rock for the hares.

He hath made the moon for seasons; the sun knoweth his going down. Thou appointedst the darkness, and there was the night, wherein all the beasts of the forest will go abroad. Young lions roaring after their prey, and seeking their food from God. The sun ariseth, and they are gathered together, and they lay them down in their dens. But man shall go forth unto his work, and to his labour until the evening. How magnified are Thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all; the earth is filled with Thy creation. So is this great and spacious sea, therein are things creeping innumerable, small living creatures with the great.

There go the ships; there this dragon, whom Thou hast made to play therein. All things wait on Thee, to give them their food in due season; when Thou givest it them, they will gather it. When Thou openest Thy hand, all things shall be filled with goodness; when Thou turnest away Thy face, they shall be troubled.

Thou wilt take their spirit, and they shall cease; and 44

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unto their dust shall they return. Thou wilt send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created; and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let the glory of the Lord be unto the ages; the Lord will rejoice in His works.

Who looketh on the earth and maketh it tremble, Who toucheth the mountains and they smoke. I will sing unto the Lord throughout my life, I will chant to my God for as long as I have my being. May my words be sweet unto Him, and I will rejoice in the Lord. O that sinners would cease from the earth, and they that work iniquity, that they should be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul (Ps. 103:1–35).

Excerpts from this psalm are sung at the All-night Vigil, though the Typicon appoints it to be sung in its entirety. It is read entirely at the evening service, and it describes the configuration of the world and how it is ruled.

Let us break it down verse by verse.

Bless the Lord, O my soul (Ps. 103:1). Thus begins the refrain of both Psalm 102 and Psalm 103. Whereas Psalm 102 is dedicated to the works of God with regard to man, in Psalm 103 our soul is exhorted to glorify God for His works of creation and of ruling the universe. Indeed, all pious Christians have always been able and have learned to examine the signs of God’s greatness in the world around them. In order to properly come to know the world, to know it as it actually 45

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is, we must properly attune ourselves, and so the psalm begins by exhorting the soul to bless the Lord.

INTERROGATING NATURE

BY TORTURE

There are different methods of acquiring knowledge. You know that one can learn about the world using scientific methods. Francis Bacon believed that an experiment is an interrogation of nature by torture. You can learn about the world by torturing it. One modern philosopher writes, “What is interrogation of nature by torture? Let us take, for example, the renowned philosopher Bertrand Russell and toss him and a stone out the window. We will see that the stone and Bertrand Russell will fall at the same velocity. In other words, we will observe no difference. Thus, we will naturally learn that Bertrand Russell and a stone are identical.

Next let us place Bertrand Russell in a cage and attach a saliva meter to his mouth. When one light comes on we will give him a sausage, and when two lights come on we will subject him to an electrical shock. We will determine that his instincts are wonderfully developed, just like a dog’s. Furthermore, if we enhance this system 46

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by taking several Bertrand Russells at once and placing them in a barbed wire enclosure, we will discover that they are quite easily trainable.

In addition, unlike a dog, which is sometimes obstinate and refuses to be trained as it ought, Bertrand Russell will run about doing everything his master commands. Thus, we will determine that he is a high-order animal.�

This is the means of learning about the world that we call science. For some reason this is believed to be the sole and exclusive method for satisfactorily acquiring knowledge about the world. Of course you realize that if this method produces such peculiar results with regard to a person, it will hardly be entirely accurate with regard to nature. We know for example that the real world does not adhere to the laws of physics.

There is the problem of ideal and real objects, which remains unresolved in physics. In order for the real world to adhere to the laws of physics it must be placed in a completely unnatural state. For this purpose special machines are created, matter is placed in a particular state, and attempts are made to simplify its systems by some means. Otherwise it does not work: in reality the “laws of the universe� work only for machines, computers, and even then only to a certain degree. For example, in a microcosm 47

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these laws no longer function due to the uncertainty principle. In a macrocosm they do not function for other reasons. The real cosmos are completely indescribable. In order to explain why a stone is a stone and not a liquid crystal it is necessary to introduce the concept of what is called fluctuation, because according to all the laws of physics there can be no such thing as a solid object. No stones, no metals—absolutely nothing but liquid crystals. That is, we can observe that absolutely all laws are violated for some unknown reason. Physicists struggle futilely to solve this problem.

This is quite aside from the question of whether animals have instincts in the customary sense of the word. They do, if they are placed in an artificial environment. If a dog is placed in Pavlov’s cage it will develop instincts. Up until then no instincts will be observed in it at all. In the life of an ordinary dog its behavior cannot be inferred from instincts. Anyone who has had a cat, a dog, a rat, or any other pet may have noticed that all these animals are quite vain and have attitudes, which can in no way be explained by instincts. This is what real animals are like. Even bacteria have their peculiarities, and stones share certain properties of vegetable life, growing and multiplying. This is a peculiar, 48

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mysterious, inexplicable world. Even elementary particles manifest the uncertainty principle. In a word, for the physical world to follow the laws that have been discovered through torture it must be subjected to torture. Otherwise it will not work.

There are however other means of acquiring knowledge. For example, DNA was discovered not through torture, but by observation. Otherwise it would never have been discovered. In the same way it was observation that led to the discovery that bees dance in order to convey information—a special bee language. In other words, there exists a means of observing nature without violent interference.

This method is better than the first, since it more precisely describes reality, but it does not reveal the meaning this reality conceals.

To understand the underlying meaning of this world we must begin by blessing the Lord. For this reason Psalm 103 begins by exhorting the soul to bless the Lord. The soul that praises God can understand what this world really is.

Plato in his day said that there is a paradox of wholeness which states that nothing can be derived from its parts. Take a table, for example.

Is its leg a table? No. Is its top a table? No. And if we simply place four legs and a table top together, 49

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will this be a table? If we put them together in a specific way, yes, it will be a table. But if we lay the legs and table top together on the floor, even if they are unbroken, we will have fragments of a table. Thus, wholeness is not derived from parts.

This is truly so: to see wholeness one must have a holistic view. And the One Who has a holistic view is He Who is the source of this wholeness— God. Why exactly does a table exist? Because the idea occurred to someone. The mind engendered the holistic idea of a table, which was then implemented. A person never sees some bricks and thinks, “I should build something with these. What should I build? Should I use them to build a doghouse or a church of God?” No, first comes the idea: “Let’s build a church,” or “Let’s build a doghouse.” And only then the idea begins to materialize, to be substantiated. In other words, wholeness precedes substance. This concept of Plato is also found in Scripture. The only difference is that Plato thought that ideas are independent of a creator, but Scripture says they are the ideas of a creator—the ideas of the Creator of the universe or the ideas of a human creator, created in the image of the Heavenly Creator, but by no means a separate world or ocean of ideas from which these ideas may be drawn.

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The Image of a True Christian

THE IMAGE OF A TRUE CHRISTIAN

Therefore, in order to truly come to know the world of God, to learn the mysteries of the Lord, one must start by blessing Him. The soul must bless the Lord, glorifying Him, marveling and delighting in Him. Saint Hesychius of Sinai said that a true Christian is one who constantly marvels. This is a very important point. For some reason people think that a true Christian must be gloomy and morose, with straw in his beard and mud on his shoes. He must also be constantly fearful of everything. This, allegedly, is what a true Christian looks like. But such is not the case. A genuine Christian is one who constantly marvels, who is able to see the astonishing world of God and delight in its beauty.

Further on we address the Lord, saying, O Lord my God, Thou hast been magnified exceedingly (Ps. 103:1). You have been extraordinarily magnified. Looking upon You, seeing in You my own God, I cannot encompass Your greatness.

Your greatness, majesty, and might are beyond measure. You are so great that my mind cannot encompass You. Saint Gregory the Theologian wrote that God “concentrates in His own Self the whole of existence, which did not begin and will 51

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not cease—like a sea of essence, indefinable and infinite, stretching beyond the bounds of any concept of time and substance.�13 BEAUTY COMBINED WITH POWER

Confession and majesty hast Thou put on (Ps. 103:1). You have clothed yourself in glorification and majesty. You are surrounded by eternal glorification and majesty. Moreover, glory is intrinsic to You irrespective of creation. Gazing upon You is itself glory. You are surrounded by glory, power, beauty, and might. According to Saint Gregory Palamas, if we had looked upon God before the creation of the world we would have seen Him to be surrounded by grandeur and glory immeasurably surpassing anything we could imagine. However many angels and men may glorify the Creator, they are incapable of adding anything to that glory that God had before the world was, because in eternity it is impossible for anything to be added. The majesty of God, His power and might, shine radiantly from His essence, and it is impossible to convey them. I have previously cited the example of Saint Benedict of Nursia, who once saw God surrounded by a countless multitude of rays, and from one of these rays hung our universe.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY *

10. Blessed John of Moschus. The Spiritual Meadow.

Moscow: Sibirskaya Blagozvonnitsa, 2010.

11. Saint John of the Ladder. The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Brookline, MA: Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1978.

12. Saint Gregory the Theologian. “Homily 45.” In Works. Moscow: Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, 1994.

13. Saint Gregory the Theologian. “Homily 38.” In Works. Moscow: Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, 1994.

14. Righteous Nicholas Kabasilas. “Christ. The Church. The Theotokos.” In Theological Works of St. Nicholas Kabasilas. Moscow: Church of the Martyr Tatiana at Moscow State University, 2007.

15. Saint Gregory the Theologian. “Homily 45.” In Works. Moscow: Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, 1994.

16. Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow. Homily on the Day of the Finding of the Relics of Holy Hierarch Alexis. Homilies and Speeches. Moscow, 1877.

17. Blaise Pascal. Pense es. Moscow: AST, 2003.

18. Saint Gregory the Theologian. “Homily 38.” In Works. Moscow: Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, 1994. *

Translator’s note: The information given for all titles published in Russia for the Russian editions.

122

Bibliography

19. Hieromonk Isaac. The Life of Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain. Moscow: Holy Mountain, 2013.

20. Saint Cyril of Jerusalem. Works. Moscow: V. Gaultier Printshop, 1855.

21. Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt. Collected Teachings. St. Petersburg: Society for the Propogation of Religious and Moral Education in the Spirit of the Orthodox Church, 1905.

22. Euthymios Zigabenos. Psalter with Commentary by Euthymios Zigabenos, Explained in Accordance with the Patristic Commentaries. Moscow: Sintagma, 2010.

23. Schearchimandrite Sofrony (Sakharov). Venerable Silouan of Athos. Moscow: Holy Trinity New Golutvin Convent, 2006.

24. Saint Macarius the Great. Spiritual Talks, Epistles, and Homilies. Moscow: Lepta Kniga, 2009.

25. Venerable Abba Dorotheus. Edifying Teachings and Epistles. Moscow: Svetly Bereg, 2008.

26. Blessed Augustine. Confessions. Moscow: Dar, 2013.

27. Blessed Augustine. Confessions. Moscow: Dar, 2013.

Scriptural quotes taken from the King James Version of the Bible, except where otherwise indicated.

Quotes from the book of Psalms taken from The Psalter According to the Seventy, published by Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA. All rights reserved.

DANIEL SYSOEV INC.

was founded as a USA-based subsidiary of the Rev. Daniel Sysoev Missionary Center Benevolent Fund. The corporation’s primary goals are: — Creating high-quality translations of Orthodox texts from Russian into English and preparing these texts for print — Distributing books, CDs, DVDs, and church supplies in the US and Canada, in English and in Russian — Promoting projects to further the mission of Orthodoxy in the world.

The company’s primary area of activity centers on the works of the priest Daniel Sysoev, who was killed November 19, 2009, in Moscow, leaving behind numerous recordings of his lectures, sermons, and literary works. Father Daniel’s books touch with grace the minds of those who read them. Father Daniel had a profound understanding of the texts of Holy Scripture, in keeping with the explanations of the holy fathers of the Church. His God-given ability to interpret and explain the Bible, to preach and speak to a person’s heart, and most importantly to love God and neighbor has enlightened and continue to enlighten many. Upon reading his works many decide to change their path, find answers to difficult questions, and are strengthened in their faith and desire to inherit eternal life with God. It is our goal to bring back the laudable tradition of reading Orthodox books.

If you share our goals and feel able and inclined to assist in achieving this common goal, write to us at mission379@gmail. com. It may be that our joint efforts will bear much fruit.

If you would like to contribute to this work, you may use one of the following methods: 1. Wire transfer: ABA/Routing Number 021000089 CITIBANK, N.A. 2201 86th street, Brooklyn, NY, 11214 Daniel Sysoev Inc, account number: 4989398433 2. PayPal: ssv379@gmail.com

PRIESTS HAVE DIED, LEAVING FAMILIES BEHIND…

Together we can help them!

May the Lord grant His faithful servants eternal rest in the tabernacles of the righteous! You can donate to help their families in one of the following ways: 1. Wire transfer: ABA/Routing Number 021000089 CITIBANK, N.A. 2201 86th street, Brooklyn, NY, 11214 Daniel Sysoev Inc, account Number: 4989398433 2. PayPal: ssv379@gmail.com

OTHER BOOKS

BY PRIEST DANIEL SYSOEV WHY GO TO CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY?

E

ven some people who call themselves Orthodox are of the opinion that going to church every Sunday is bordering on fanaticism. There are plenty of justifications for this view: “Sunday is my only day off”; “I can pray just as well at home”; “It annoys my family”, and so on.

In this book an Orthodox missionary priest invites the reader to see for himself the invalidity of such views.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE IMMORTAL, OR WHAT TO DO IF YOU STILL DIE

I

n the few months since it appeared, this unusually-titled book by the famous priest and missionary Fr. Daniel Sysoev has quickly become a bestseller. What should you do if you end up dying after all? Unfortunately, many people try to avoid the question of death; yet death, like it or not, is unavoidable.

Following divine revelation and the experience of the Church, Fr. Daniel paints a perfectly logical picture of the human soul transitioning from mortality to eternity. The author gives us advice on how to behave correctly at this most important of events for every person, how not to be afraid, how to pass through the aerial toll-houses, and what will await us after death. The author likewise describes the church doctrines regarding heaven and hell.

MARRIAGE TO A NONBELIEVER?

H

ow often young men and women, when choosing their companion for life, think his or her faith to be of no importance! “We love each other, and he (or she) doesn’t mind that I go to church.” And yet this stance conceals multitudinous dangers for a Christian. At fi rst all is well — the young couple is even married in church (at the insistence of the believer), and it seems a compromise has been reached. But then everyday life begins, and ever more frequently one hears, “You don’t care about anything but your church” ...

A PROTESTANT’S WALK THROUGH AN ORTHODOX CHURCH

T

ruth can endure no falsehood, and herself finds those who seek her. But there is one condition: one must reject one’s own opinion and prefer the Lord’s, and seek not oneself, but God. It is no easy thing to leave off your former way of life and the things of which you were convinced when you thought you were on the right path. But it is those who are willing to do this whom God calls His chosen.

This book is an actual conversation with a young Protestant, who himself approached an Orthodox passerby one spring morning. Was he seeking the truth? What answers did the Orthodox Christian give him and how did he behave? Did anything change in their hearts after their dialogue, and who was proven right? The reader will witness their conversation and will hear numerous arguments grounded in Holy Scripture.

Priest Daniel Sysoev

Explanation of Selected Psalms In Four Parts Part 2 Beneath the Shelter of the Most High

Translator Priest Nathan Williams Layout Olga Bochkova Cover and Design Igor Ermolaev

mission-center.com mission-shop.com mission379@gmail.com Format 70  100 1/ 32. Offset printing.

Offset paper. Conventional printed sheets Run of 5000