The last judgment. Priest Daniel Sysoev

Priest

DANIEL SYSOEV

thE last judgment EXPLANATION OF SELECTED PSALMS

Part IV

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 4: The last judgment. — New Jersey, Daniel Sysoev Inc, 2018. — 144 pp.

ISBN 978-5-4279-0072-3

Explanation of psalms 3, 37, 62, 87, 102, and 142. This book examines the issues of repentance, prayer, humility, the will of God, blessing and righteous judgment among the nations, the fight against the enemy, and the architecture of hades.

“We do not sit at the six psalms, because they symbolize the Last Judgment.”

—Saint Paisios of the Holy Mountain

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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

IN TIME OF TRIALS AND MISFORTUNES Explanation of Psalm 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Punishment Through One’s Household . . . . 6 The Intercessor of the Holy Mountain . . . . 11 Blessing and Justice upon the Nations . . . . 19 PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE FROM ENEMIES Explanation of Psalm 37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 The Anger and Wrath of God . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Ability to See One’s Sins . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 On Repentance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 On Fighting the Enemy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 THE THIRST FOR GOD Explanation of Psalm 62 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Preserve Your Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Prayer of the Mind and Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 The Mercy of God is More Important than Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Time for God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 The Morning Prayers of the Priest . . . . . . . . 64 THE REMEDY FOR DESPONDENCY Explanation of Psalm 87 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 The Remedy for Despondency . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Sheol: A Waterless Well . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Contents

The Aging Process of Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 The Architecture of Hades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Why did the Anger of God Rest upon Christ?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Only the Living Glorify God . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Explanation of Psalm 102. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 IN SEARCH OF GOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Explanation of Psalm 142. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Reasoning and Reality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Mercy Surpassing Justice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 What is Humility? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 The Power of Prayer and Hope in God . . . 126 How to Do God’s Will . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

IN TIME OF TRIALS AND MISFORTUNES

Explanation of Psalm 3 The Six Psalms begin with Psalm 3, which is called A Psalm of David. When He Fled from the Face of Abessalom His Son (Ps. 3:1).

O Lord, why are they multiplied that afflict me?

Many rise up against me. Many say unto my soul: There is no salvation for him in his God. But Thou, O Lord, art my helper, my glory, and the lifter up of my head.

I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy mountain. I laid me down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord will help me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that set themselves against me round about. Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God, for Thou hast smitten all who without cause are mine enemies; the teeth of sinners hast Thou broken. Salvation is of the Lord, and Thy blessing is upon Thy people (Ps. 3:2–9).

Rendered into simpler language: “O Lord, why have those who persecute me become so numerous? Many rise up against me; many say concerning me, ‘There is no salvation for him from his God.’ But You, O Lord, are my Helper, my Glory, and You lift up my head. With a loud voice I cry out to the Lord, and He hears me from 5

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His holy mountain. I calmly lie down, sleep, and get up, for the Lord helps me. And I will not be afraid of tens of thousands of people who attack me on all sides. Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For You smite all who war against me without a cause, and you break the weapon of the ungodly. Salvation is from the Lord, and Your blessing is upon Your people.”

PUNISHMENT THROUGH ONE’S HOUSEHOLD

King David committed a terrible sin by taking another man’s wife, Bathsheba, to be his own.

At that time there was a war with the Ammonites, and David ordered that Bathsheba’s husband be placed in the thick of the fighting, as a result of which he was killed. Then the Lord sent to King David the prophet Nathan, who told him that, in punishment for the secret iniquity that David had committed, his son would rebel against him. As the Lord had foretold, so it came to pass: David’s son Absalom stirred up a rebellion against his father. He declared himself king, his supporters anointed him to kingship, and he declared war on David, who knew that this was his punishment from God. David fled from his son, and as he climbed Mount Olivet he said a prayer, the words 6

Punishment Through One’s Household

of which comprise Psalm 3. These words must serve as reminder for us of how we ought to act in times of trials and misfortunes, when we are persecuted by our enemies.

O Lord, why are they multiplied that afflict me?

Many rise up against me. Many say unto my soul: There is no salvation for him in his God (Ps. 3:1–3).

In simpler language, “O Lord, how numerous my enemies have become! Many rise up against me; many say to my soul, ‘There is no salvation for him in God.’” David learned that all his friends had taken the side of Absalom. Interpreting this psalm, John Chrysostom asks, “Where now are those who complained of poverty? What poverty, what sickness, what sorrow is there that this does not outweigh?”40 This often occurs because by this means God heals our past sins. David was punished by God through his household because he had wrecked the home of another man, and it was for this that David’s own home was wrecked— wrecked by his own son. John Chrysostom observes, “That domestic misfortunes are the fruit of sins, and that God appoints those of a sinner’s household to administer his punishment, is shown by the Divine Scriptures, and nothing can be surer than they. Does your wife wage war with you, meeting you at the door like a wild beast, sharpening her tongue like a sword? It is 7

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of course lamentable that your helpmeet has become your adversary; but examine yourself, whether in your youth you did not plot something against some woman, and now the affront to the woman is avenged by a woman, and your own wife treats the wound of another. Though the doer herself knows it not, God the physician knows. He acts upon you by her as by a knife, and just as a knife does not know what it does, but rather the physician who heals by means of the knife, so also here, though the wife who smites and the husband who is smitten do not know the reasons for the smiting, God, as a physician, knows what is beneficial.”41 Attacks from those close to us are either retribution for some past misdeed, or a means of cleansing a particular passion inherent in a person; more often than not it is both. Quite frequently sinful behavior becomes a person’s normal condition: commit fornication one time and suddenly it becomes the norm; get drunk once, and it becomes a daily affair. David is asking God why his enemies have multiplied. We know that even David’s closest advisor—Achitophel, who was so intelligent a man that none could oppose his arguments—also sided with Absalom and advised him how best to kill his father. They tell David that there is no salvation for him; they 8

Punishment Through One’s Household

destroy his hope in God, and for him this is the most terrible thing of all. When Scripture speaks of our enemies, we understand this first and foremost to mean evil spirits, the demons, who tempt a person, attempting to plunge him into despondency and depression, whispering that God will not help him. In the same way David’s enemies tell him that there is no salvation for him in God, because the best way to deprive a person of all hope is to deprive him of hope in God. In the Hebrew texts of the psalm this verse is followed by a special symbol, signifying a change in tone and a sort of musical pause. And after the phrase, There is no salvation for him in his God, a pause in the music follows, so as to ponder the logic of these enemies (one must realize that in ancient times the psalms were performed to music or had a specific melody). Then David says, But Thou, O Lord, art my helper, my glory, and the lifter up of my head (Ps. 3:4). A helper is one who stands up for the weak. We know that one of the names of the third Person of the Holy Trinity is Comforter. The Holy Spirit does not merely comfort and pity; He is the defender of men. By becoming man, God interceded for mankind, took our place, and entered into combat with the devil.

He became as we are, though remaining Who He was; He became man, yet remained God. He went 9

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among men, becoming one of us, but at the same time He had a divine personality. The pinnacle of His intercession took place on Golgotha. On the Cross Christ cried out with a loud voice, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? (Mt. 27:46). He cried out in our stead, specifically because He is the Intercessor. God forsook sinners, but Christ took their place, and on their behalf He cried out to the Father.

The words But Thou art my glory (cf. Ps. 3:4) voice the thought that man must have his ultimate glory in God. Ordinarily people want to glory in their knowledge, their talents, attractive clothing, a nice car. A person wants for people to praise him. But David seeks glory from God: the opinion of others does not interest him, and he glories not in his own deeds, but in God. In the book of the prophet Jeremiah the Lord says these words: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord (Jer. 9:23–24). The glory that a man obtains in God is indestructible. For example, a person may glory in a car, but then crash it; he may glory in his job, but then be fired. If a man 10

The Intercessor of the Holy Mountain

glories in God, however, the glory of God never fades.

David goes on to say, Thou art ... the lifter up of my head (Ps. 3:4)—that is, “You lift up my head.”

Ordinarily a person bears the burden of his problems, which causes his head to hang down, and he is unable to lift up his eyes to heaven. But God lifts up a person’s head, raises him up, lifts the weight from him, and thereby enables him to see Himself and the world around him. There is also a second meaning to the expression “to lift up one’s head”: it means “to be glorified in God to the utmost.” For example, in the book of Genesis it is said that Joseph’s head was lifted up. This means that he was appointed as prime minister, to use our modern term.* Here what is being said is that David, being a king on earth, hopes to reign also in heaven.

THE INTERCESSOR OF THE HOLY MOUNTAIN

I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy mountain (Ps. 3:5). It is necessary to pray not only in thought—though it is some*

Translator’s note: This may refer to Gen. 40, which actually pertains to the butler imprisoned with Joseph.

11

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times beneficial to pray silently—but also aloud.

Then we can more attentively follow our prayer.

Here singing is of particular importance: when a person sings he prays not only with his mind, but also with his body, thereby benefiting the body also. For this reason at the divine services the Church does not invite us to pray silently, as do certain sectarians (such as the Quakers), but instead we sing many of the prayers together. Hymns sung congregationally in Orthodox churches include “Having Beheld the Resurrection of Christ,” the Symbol of Faith (“I Believe”), “Our Father,” and “O Theotokos Virgin, Rejoice,” although the Typicon calls for all the litanies and even the eucharistic canon to be sung congregationally by the parishioners. All this is needed so that a person might cry out to the Lord with his voice, and that God might hear him out of His holy mountain.

The holy mountain is the temple mount, the place where the Ark of the Covenant lay. It is the place where God showed Himself to men, where He could proclaim to men His will. When the high priest entered into the Holy of Holies he would hear the voice of God above the Ark. We even have a record of the divine words: the entire book of Leviticus is wholly comprised of the revelation of God, recorded directly from 12

The Intercessor of the Holy Mountain

God’s words. Many people who have been in Jerusalem at the Tomb of the Lord and prayed there sense God revealing Himself to them in the literal sense of the word. Priests also know that God may reveal His will during the Liturgy.

This however is referring not only to the earthly holy mountain: the holy mountain of God is also another name for the Kingdom of Heaven. We know from Holy Scripture that the new Jerusalem is located on a high mountain, as a sign of man’s exaltation. The symbol of a mountain is used to indicate that a man must be exalted in order to encounter God. We must labor in the virtues in order to ascend the mountain and encounter Him. God will not descend to the plain, because He desires that man bring to fruition the abilities that He has given him.

I laid me down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord will help me (Ps. 3:6). King David is saying that he lay down to sleep in despondency, but upon awakening he understood that the Lord was defending Him. One must not fail to combat despondency with prayer, nor fail to alternate prayer with physical labor, because intellectual labor does nothing to cure despondency. And if we follow the rules of Anthony the Great, which an angel of God revealed to him, despondency will be vanquished: one must first pray, then labor physically, 13

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then pray again, then labor physically again, and then despondency will retreat. At times, however, the attacks of the enemy are especially savage, and these, in the words of Isaac the Syrian, are treated as follows: “If you have not the strength to take control of yourself and fall upon your face in prayer, cover your head with your mantle and sleep until this hour of darkness pass for you, but do not leave your dwelling.�42 This is what King David did: he fell asleep, and was healed of his despondency by the Lord Himself. We know that the foul spirit of despondency is exorcised only by the intervention of the Creator, but we often forget this, or think it would be irreverent at this time to call upon God to hear us. This is a demonic deception.

In their commentaries on this psalm, certain fathers of the Church say that this is referring to David’s prophecy that God would intercede for him, delivering him from the jaws of death, and resurrect him. He is expressing the hope that the Lord will raise him up from the grave in both soul and body. In soul King David was restored when the Lord descended into hades, and in body he will rise at the end of all time.

I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that set themselves against me round about (Ps. 3:7).

David is saying that his enemies are everywhere, 14

The Intercessor of the Holy Mountain

but he does not fear them, because the Lord defends him. These verses also have a spiritual significance, however, which we must also take into account. Interpreting this passage, the holy fathers understand the ten thousands of attackers to mean the demons. In what way do the demons attack from all sides? From in front the demons attack by suggesting to a person that he can do anything, that he must believe in himself, when in fact the opposite is true: the moment a person begins believing in himself, and not in God, everything falls apart for him. From behind the demons attack as follows: they instill in a person the idea that he must remember how much evil he has done in his life. And here they whisper, “There is no salvation for you; you’re a sinner!

Don’t go running to God; He will not forgive you. Remember how many horrible things you have done!” In this way they attempt to halt a person on the path to repentance: they want him to constantly bury himself in the past and not move forward, instead of repenting of his sins before God and moving on. A second approach is this: if a person feels no aversion to sin and has not yet decided whether to commit the sin or not, the demons say, “What’s your hang-up? You’ve often done it before!” The attack from the left is this: “Everyone else does it, and they’re fine. Go ahead 15

In Time of Trials and Misfortunes

and do it too!” The attack from the right lies in that the demons will push a person to do a good deed, and then say, “What a good person you are!” When attacking from above they whisper to a person that he is growing spiritually, and that he is doing just fine. These enemies that attack a person from all sides do indeed number in the tens of thousands, and this is no exaggeration, but rather an understatement.

Regarding this Holy Scripture says the following: Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8). This danger is felt by every man, many times each day, and only by turning to God for help can one escape these attacks of the enemy. Theophan the Recluse cites this example: “What does one do who has been attacked by an evil person? He strikes him in the chest and cries, ‘Help!’ At his cry the watch comes running and delivers him from danger. The same must be done in mental warfare with the passions: roused to savagery against things passionate, one must cry out for help: ‘O Lord, help me! O Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, save me!’”43 But if the victim thinks it shameful to call the watch, and wishes to deal with the evildoer on his own, he will naturally be beaten. The same is true of the demons, who incite us to contend with them ourselves, with16

The Intercessor of the Holy Mountain

out turning to God for help. This is their favorite trick, and the moment a person resolves to handle the demons himself, he is naturally beaten by them. Take the example of one drug addict, who was told that he needed to pray at the precise moment when drugs were offered him. He however would pray before this or afterward, and so he fell into temptation again and again, because he did not appeal to God’s help, but relied on his own will. King David likewise says that one ought not to fear the demons, but to go and do the works of God. Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God, for Thou hast smitten all who without cause are mine enemies; the teeth of sinners hast Thou broken (Ps. 3:8). David is asking the Lord to arise and work His justice.

The arising of the Lord is the miracle of His Resurrection, when the Lord arose from the dead in order to give life to all creation, to crush the black power of the prince of darkness. John of the Ladder wrote that when God is not openly protecting us, He seems to us to be asleep, but in actuality God does not manifest His might openly. When He works His justice, however, or shows His mercy, these are special manifestations of the Lord, and they are called arisings. David says that all who without cause are mine enemies—that is, all who war against him groundlessly, through 17

In Time of Trials and Misfortunes

no fault of his own—will be smitten. This is said in the past tense, as an accomplished fact, because he is a prophet and knows that the rebellion of Absalom will come to nothing (Absalom himself was caught by his hair in the branches of an oak as he rode under it on a mule, and was shot with arrows). In the Russian translation we read, “You will smite the cheek of all my enemies; you will break the teeth of the ungodly” (in the Hebrew original, “You strike the cheeks”). Why this imagery? Because the rebels had dared to rise up against God, saying to David that there was no salvation for him in his God. Interpreting this passage of Holy Scripture, John Chrysostom writes that the enemies of David are compared to predators, who perish if they lose their teeth. So also the Lord breaks and crushes their predatory craftiness, working retribution.

Many people think of God as a kindly soul who hands out various favors to people. But we see that the image of God shown us in the psalms differs greatly from this image. God is a mighty Defender, a Savior, Who defends the righteous and contends with sinners, knocking out their teeth, striking them on the cheeks, and tumbling them off of their paths. Does this kind of God look anything like a kindly Santa Claus? Not in the least: He is a mighty, living God, the Master 18

Blessing and Justice upon the Nations

of history, Who rules the world as He pleases, according to His own will, and this image of God is more accurate.

Salvation is of the Lord, and Thy blessing is upon Thy people (Ps. 3:9). Salvation belongs to the Lord; it is a trait of God Himself. In this verse King David is secretly hinting at the holy name of Jesus—the Lord and Savior, Yahweh, Who is come to save. Upon His people, those belonging to the Lord, His blessing rests. He creates all men, but He blesses only His own. John of the Ladder says, “Some are enemies of God, others are adversaries of God, others are people of God, others are near to God, and others are friends of God.” The enemies of God are those who oppose God; the adversaries of God are the heretics; the people of God are the Christians; those near to God are Christians who strive to make keeping the commandments the chief goal of their lives. And the friends of God are those who have attained perfection.

BLESSING AND JUSTICE UPON THE NATIONS

Upon those people who are redeemed by the blood of Christ, who have become his own people, His blessing rests, but upon other nations His justice rests. It is important to remember that 19

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God makes a clear distinction between nations.

Indeed, all men are brethren through Adam and Eve, but the nations are not equal in God’s eyes. This occurs not because there are nations that are inherently good or bad, but depending on whether or not they have anything to do with God. The Orthodox Church is a special Christian nation, which is God’s own and includes all the ethnic groups of the earth who have accepted the revelation of God, regardless of their background.

For example, what is the relationship between God and the Hebrew nation? God remembers the promises that He gave to the forefathers of the Hebrew nation—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He remembers what was promised to the prophets of old, and for this reason Israel will never be laid waste and destroyed. But after the Hebrews terminated their covenant with God, God’s blessings became for them a curse. The fact that today the Hebrews do not mix with other nations is a curse, though formerly it was a blessing for them. God blessed the Hebrew nation on condition of their alliance with Him, but the moment they rejected this alliance the blessing became a curse. In forming a covenant with the Hebrews, God offered them a choice between two paths: the path of blessing and the path 20

Blessing and Justice upon the Nations

of cursing. God said to them, “If you will abide in a covenant with Me, if you will do My will, doing according to My injunctions, then My blessing will be upon you. But if you break My injunction and terminate My blessing, a curse shall be upon you.�

The fate of Israel precisely follows the book of Deuteronomy, chapters 28 to 32, which foretells the whole fate of Israel right up to the present day: Israel which rejected God will be completely rejected by Him as well, and will be scattered to the ends of the earth, and the nation that scatters it will fall upon it like an eagle. A thousand years before the dawn of the Roman Empire the very symbol that would destroy Israel was foretold: The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand (Deut. 28:49). It was foretold that the Hebrews would be scattered throughout the earth: And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear 21

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day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life (Deut. 28:64–66).

This refers to the Crucifixion of Christ—that Christ, Life Himself, will hang before them, and it so happened that the Hebrews were scattered specifically among Christian nations. Their life hung before them in the literal sense of the word, and hangs to this day, yet still they do not believe.

These chapters of Deuteronomy cite a list of curses, which are being fulfilled to this day.

The prophet Zechariah said of this that the nation would be divided within itself, and the unity of Israel would be broken. We see that in Israel inner strife continues, civil war rages, and the Jews are divided among themselves. This division in the society of the Jews was already observed in the time of Christ, when the Pharisees said disdainfully concerning the Galileans, This people who knoweth not the law are cursed (Jn. 7:49). This disdain for those who do not know the finer points of the Talmud continues in Israel to this day.

Further on in Deuteronomy it is said that the Jews will be forcibly driven into the Holy Land (as we likewise see happening), and, cast into the smelting furnace, will sink to the very bottom.

Then they will turn to God, and God will hear them, will have mercy on them, and will convert them again to Himself. The conversion of the 22

Blessing and Justice upon the Nations

Jews to Christianity is foretold by the prophets and the apostles alike. The Lord’s promise to the Hebrews remained unchanged, and the moment Israel returns to the covenant with God its misfortunes will cease, and once again the blessing that God gave to the fathers of Israel will resume.

All this is true not only of Israel, but of us, the Orthodox Church—the New Israel. We entered into a covenant with God, and upon us also God’s blessings and curses come to pass. If we attentively read chapter 28 of Deuteronomy, we will see in it the history of Russia in the 20th century.

How does God view nations that have not accepted Christ? God created all nations and rules them all, but if they reject His message they become for God as dust, and He will sweep them off the face of the earth. If God preserves a nation that has not accepted Christ, it is only because He knows that at some future time either this nation will accept Christ, or else someone from this nation will become a saint. Sometimes God preserves nations for another reason—either as a scourge for apostates, or as an example of how not to live, so as to manifest His might upon such nations. For example, by God’s permissive providence the Muslims seized the Byzantine Empire, because the Greek Christians had departed from God. The Muslims invaded specifically those 23

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

provinces where heresy had taken hold, and when Constantinople signed the union with heretical Rome, all Byzantium was conquered by the Ottoman Empire. The same occurred in Syria and in Egypt. That is, the Muslims who conquered these nations were a scourge of God for those who had apostatized from God. Long ago God said to Abraham, the forefather of all Muslims, and to the handmaid Hagar, Behold, thou art with child and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren (Gen. 16:11–12). And the descendants of Ishmael—the Ishmaelites, or the Muslims—are the scourge of God for negligent Christians.

PR AYER FOR DELIVER ANCE FROM ENEMIES

Explanation of Psalm 37 Psalm 37 is the second psalm of the Six Psalms. It is called A Psalm of David. In Remembrance. Concerning the Sabbath (Ps. 37:1). This 24

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

psalm is dedicated to the remembrance of divine rest—the kind of rest that a person receives after forgiveness of sins. Like Psalm 3, David wrote it when he was fleeing from his son Absalom, toward the end of his life. David is repenting of his sins, and he prays to God for deliverance from his enemies.

O Lord, rebuke me not in Thine anger, nor chasten me in Thy wrath. For Thine arrows are fastened in me, and Thou hast laid Thy hand heavily upon me. There is no healing in my flesh in the face of Thy wrath; and there is no peace in my bones in the face of my sins. For mine iniquities are risen higher than my head; as a heavy burden have they pressed heavily upon me. My bruises are become noisome and corrupt in the face of my folly. I have been wretched and utterly bowed down until the end; all the day long I went with downcast face. For my loins are filled with mockings, and there is no healing in my flesh. I am afflicted and humbled exceedingly, I have roared from the groaning of my heart. O Lord, before Thee is all my desire, and my groaning is not hid from Thee. My heart is troubled, my strength hath failed me; and the light of mine eyes, even this is not with me. My friends and my neighbours drew nigh over against me and stood, and my nearest of kin stood afar off. And they that sought after my soul used violence; and they that sought evils for me spake vain things, and craftiness all the day long did they 25

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

meditate. But as for me, like a deaf man I heard them not, and was as a speechless man that openeth not his mouth. And I became as a man that heareth not, and that hath in his mouth no reproofs. For in Thee have I hoped, O Lord; Thou wilt hearken unto me, O Lord my God. For I said: Let never mine enemies rejoice over me; yea, when my feet were shaken, those men spake boastful words against me. For I am ready for scourges, and my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare mine iniquity, and I will take heed concerning my sin. But mine enemies live and are made stronger than I, and they that hated me unjustly are multiplied.

They that render me evil for good slandered me, because I pursued goodness. Forsake me not, O Lord my God, depart not from me. Be attentive unto my help, O Lord of my salvation (Ps. 37:1–23).

Rendered in simpler language: “O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your threatening and do not punish me in your wrath. For Your arrows have pierced me, and Your hand weighs heavily upon me. My flesh has no healing because of Your wrath; my bones have no peace because of my sins. For my iniquities have risen higher than my head, and they oppress me like a heavy burden.

My wounds stink and fester because of my folly.

I am bent over because of my sufferings; all day long I go about in sorrow. For my loins are subjected to mockery, and there is no relief for my 26

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

flesh. I have experienced suffering and have been extremely abased; I have wept because of my anguish of heart. O Lord, before You is all my desire, and my sighing is not hidden from You. My heart is troubled, my strength has abandoned me, and the light in my eyes has ceased.

My friends and neighbors came and stood opposite me, and those closest to me withdrew far away from me. And all those who sought my life increased their efforts, and those who wished me evil told lies and plotted craftiness day after day. But as a fool I did not hear them, and I was as a dumb man who does not open his mouth. And I became like a man who does not hear and who has no defense in his mouth.

For in You, O Lord, I hoped; I hoped that You would hear me, O Lord my God. And I said: Let not my enemies gloat over me. But when my feet were shaken they boasted over me. I am ready for sufferings, and my sorrow is always before me. I realize my iniquity, and I grieve over my sin. But my enemies live and have become stronger than I, and those who hate me unjustly have increased. Those who render me evil for good slandered me because I strove for what is good.

Do not forsake me, O Lord my God! Do not depart from me. Hasten to help me, O Lord my Savior.�

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THE ANGER AND WRATH OF GOD

O Lord, rebuke me not in Thine anger, nor chasten me in Thy wrath (Ps. 37:2). The first thing that David asks of the Lord is that He not punish him with anger and wrath. In Russian, oblichat—to rebuke—literally means to lay bare the face of a person, and so David asks that his face not be revealed, laid bare, by the anger of God. How is anger different from wrath? Anger is a flare-up of wrath, while wrath is a state of will. Here we need to clarify how we understand the anger and wrath of God. It is important to remember that with the Lord these are not passions or outbursts that engulf God’s reason.

John Chrysostom said, “When you hear the words ‘anger’ and wrath’ with regard to God, do not understand them to mean anything human.

These are words of condescension. The Divinity is foreign to any such thing. It is said in this way in order to make the matter accessible for the understanding of coarser people.”44 God hates sin and repulses it, and it is in this sense that He manifests both wrath and anger. God angrily repulses sin, burning it up, and if a person equates himself with sin He likewise burns up the person in whom the sin abides. In order to understand this we must remember the events of 28

The Anger and Wrath of God

the Gospel, when God revealed Himself to men in the person of Christ the Savior. Upon entering the Temple in Jerusalem, when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables (Jn. 2:15).

This was a clear manifestation of wrath, but was it a passion? No! We see that Christ was not “boiling” inside, though He angrily repulsed the sin.

In God there is no passion of wrath, but in Him there is an energetic repulsion of sin. God may be roused to wrath against a person, and He may become angry with him, but this is not the uncontrollable wrath of men.

Our wrath also must know its place, but we must not eradicate it from ourselves. Wrath is a God-given property of the soul, a spiritual immune system, but it must be guided in the right direction. Our wrath must be directed against what distances us from God. This is what wrath was designed for. There are Eastern religious, occult, Neo-Platonic techniques that are essentially capable of destroying this feeling. Then, to quote Alexander Pushkin, a person will “regard good and evil indifferently.” But uprooting wrath is not the goal of Christianity: Christianity holds that a person must develop all his God-given properties, and must fight only against sin, which has no sub29

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stance. What is an example of righteous wrath?

Suppose people are pushing us to do something we must not and do not wish to do, and they begin trying to persuade us. Here we must be roused to wrath and say, “No, I will not do that!�

Wrath must be like an immune system, and we must use it to defend ourselves against evil. Here it is very important to have a proper concept of God: if a person errs in his understanding of God he will not properly conform to Him. If a person believes that God is nothing but kindness, devoid of righteous wrath, he tries to follow this kind of God. Consequently, by incorrectly understanding God, the person likewise alters himself incorrectly. As a result, half the properties of our soul will end up wrongly oriented and will have to be discarded.

Christianity receives the whole man: there is not one property of the human personality that is sinful by definition. Even pridefulness has a proper function: it is given to us to stand proud over the demons, to be proud that we are Christians.

In the first epistle of the apostle John we read that we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness (1 Jn. 5:19). On the one hand, this declaration is one of pride, but on the other hand this knowledge is a necessary condition for the life of a Christian. A person may pervert any 30

The Ability to See One’s Sins

good qualities, turning them into passions. And the stronger the passion, the more greatly it perverts the good quality. A man’s passions exist on multiple levels, with one growing out of another: self-love gives rise to voluptuousness, mercinariness, and vainglory, and these in turn give rise to fornication, gluttony, melancholy, wrath, despondency, despair, and arrogance.

Thus, in a man wrath must become an immune system, defending him against evil, since in God wrath and anger are a tool with which He burns away evil from the universe.

For Thine arrows are fastened in me, and Thou hast laid Thy hand heavily upon me (Ps. 37:3). David has already been punished; the arrows of God have pierced him. He has been deprived of his wives, his kingdom, and his treasury; he is betrayed by his friends and pursued by his own son, who wishes to kill him; and this is a manifestation of those very arrows of God that punish for misdeeds committed.

THE ABILITY TO SEE ONE’S SINS

David says, There is no healing in my flesh in the face of Thy wrath; and there is no peace in my bones in the face of my sins (Ps. 37:4). He sees the threat31

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ening face of God turned toward him. Here we may recall an episode from the book of Exodus, when Moses asks God to show His face. The Lord answers him, Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me, and live (Ex. 33:20). A man who sees God’s face is moving toward God, and as a result he passes Him by and continues moving away from Him. Moses however followed after God, and for this reason he saw God from behind. David says that he saw the wrathful face of the Lord because he had opposed Him, and God revealed to him all his sins. We know that before the end of the world all our unrepented sins will be set before us, but sometimes the Lord in His mercy enables a person to see his sins during his lifetime. David says that there is no peace in his bones: in Holy Scripture bones signify the underpinnings of a person’s life. A person’s soul likewise has a skeleton of sorts: his worldview. But when a person has unrepented sins they begin to undermine our worldview.

For mine iniquities are risen higher than my head; as a heavy burden have they pressed heavily upon me (Ps. 37:5). Sin overwhelms David; his iniquities are higher than he himself. There are iniquities that function on the level of the stomach, which attempts to control the head; at other times iniquities inundate the head, and the mind is taken 32

The Ability to See One’s Sins

prisoner by the prince of darkness; and these iniquities pull a person down, into the abyss.

My bruises are become noisome and corrupt in the face of my folly (Ps. 37:6)—the wounds of David stink and fester. Sin is the wounds a person inflicts upon himself. And if a sin is not confessed it begins to fester, because a sin committed must be confessed immediately. David senses this. Blessed Theodoret rightly notes that this marks the beginning of David’s healing. He smells the stench of sin and understands that sin has become foreign to him, and so he is able to recover. But if a person enjoys the smell of sin, if he perceives it as the spice of life, then sin becomes incurable, because the person will go on to become proud of his sins.

King David saw the cause of his oppressive situation, the cause of his sins, in his own folly.

In the biblical sense, folly or foolishness is a synonym for evil, and foolishness and folly are vestiges of antitheism. Without a doubt, a person who does not honor God cannot be intelligent. He is capable of becoming knowledgeable, but by definition he cannot be intelligent. One who denies the existence of God is incapable of seeing a complete picture of the world, since his theses will be self-contradictory: for if there is no God, there is also no logic, no meaningful information, since there is no intellect to have produced it. From 33

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this we conclude that the very idea that there is no God is foolish. All of atheism is constructed on self-contradictions, on folly, and sin itself is folly, because it corrupts the reason. Regarding these kinds of fools the prophet Isaiah said, Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Is. 5:20).

I have been wretched and utterly bowed down until the end; all the day long I went with downcast face (Ps. 37:7)—that is, “I am bent down and utterly downcast; I go about mourning all day long.”

David is broken by sin, which has completely crushed him down to the earth. An awareness of sin begins when a person starts to realize that he is broken by sin, and he weeps, mourning for what has happened to him. And yet awareness of sin, though essential, is insufficient: one must not only regret, but also repent.

For my loins are filled with mockings, and there is no healing in my flesh (Ps. 37:8). In the Russian translation, “For my loins are filled with inflamation, and there is not one healthy place in my flesh.” Through his sin of adultery, David’s loins have been filled with mockery: through them he committed the sin of murder and also began to worship his own flesh instead of the Creator.

Because of his sin David’s whole body is smitten, 34

On Repentance

since sin enters a person through one part of his body and then fills up his whole flesh entirely.

I am afflicted and humbled exceedingly, I have roared from the groaning of my heart (Ps. 37:9). In Church Slavonic the word for “afflicted,” ozloblenny, means “enduring the malice of another,” while humbled or contrite in Greek means “close to the ground.” That is, David is saying that he has been extremely abased, to the utmost, and he is crying out in anguish of heart. If a person is not abased, crushed by his sin, he attempts to extricate himself by his own abilities, without hoping in God. In this case God will withdraw from that person and allow him to experience his own impotence.

ON REPENTANCE

But David turns to Him Who is able to save: O Lord, before Thee is all my desire, and my groaning is not hid from Thee (Ps. 37:10). He turns to the Lord and says that all his desires are for Him alone; and this is proper, since all our desire must be directed toward God Almighty: a person must seek God, and upon finding Him must ask Him for help and glorify Him. Today many contemporary Christians lack this kind of repentance.

The majority of people come to repent in order 35

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to sooth their souls. It does not occur to us that repentance means asking forgiveness of God, Whom we have offended. And we began to treat confession as a mere commodity, with the result that our sins are often corrected with difficulty.

People may confess at great length and very sincerely, but they do not name their sins. Instead they come to confession as to a psychoanalysis session, and they confess not their own sins, but those of others. The Lord receives every man who comes to Him, but this kind of confession is of no benefit to a person. Nevertheless, everything we do or do not, but merely desire, is seen by the Lord. And the prophet David emphasizes that he voluntarily reveals all his desires to God. It is one thing when God sees everything, and it is another thing entirely when a person himself reveals everything to God. David examines all his desires before God, to see whether they are pleasing to Him. God knows our lamentation for our sins, which is why it is impermissible to judge others. God looks at the heart of a man, but we see only the outward side of his behavior, and so our judgment is unjust. Of course, a person must judge regarding all things and actions; otherwise he would have to renounce his reason.

But judging and condemning are two different 36

On Repentance

things. We have a right to state that a good or evil deed has been done, but at the same time it is important to consider the motives and circumstances, the way in which the act was performed.

Additionally, our understanding of good and evil may differ radically from the Lord’s “understanding.”

My heart is troubled, my strength hath failed me; and the light of mine eyes, even this is not with me (Ps. 37:11). While remaining in sin, King David experiences heaviness and trepidation of heart.

A person who does evil will always be uneasy. The apostle Paul writes that uneasiness, perturbation, and wrath rest upon every man who does evil. If a person has committed a sin and his conscience is uneasy, he becomes debilitated, because sin drains our strength. Everything a person does is done through synergy (cooperation): if what he does is good, the person’s co-operator is God, but if evil it is the devil. When a person cooperates with the devil his strength deserts him, since the devil as such is a void: he has no life of his own.

He is a creature, a created being, and he needs energy to go on living. This energy he takes away from people who do evil. We need to remember that our every evil deed reverberates throughout the universe, and that the devil gets his strength from us, through our evil. In the same way, every 37

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good deed spreads throughout the universe as a life-giving force.

After falling into sin a person loses the ability to see, and for him the whole world becomes covered in darkness. David says that darkness reigns in his eyes: And the light of mine eyes, even this is not with me (Ps. 37:11). But a still more terrible darkness enters a person’s soul when he ceases to see God, ceases to see God’s plan in the world. For example, the 19th-century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, a pantheist and a lecher, became a complete pessimist as well through falling away from God and blaspheming the Creator.

This is the result of sin and decay of the soul.

My friends and my neighbours drew nigh over against me and stood, and my nearest of kin stood afar off. And they that sought after my soul used violence; and they that sought evils for me spake vain things, and craftiness all the day long did they meditate (Ps. 37:12– 13). King David is writing of the treachery of his friends, for how often it happens that a person who does evil is deserted by all those near him!

ON FIGHTING THE ENEMY

David’s enemies seek out various opportunities to destroy him. Our enemies are first and foremost the demons, who ceaselessly seek how 38

On Fighting the Enemy

they may destroy a man. Conversely, our friends who withdraw from us are the angels of God, whom a person drives away by his own evil deeds.

But as for me, like a deaf man I heard them not, and was as a speechless man that openeth not his mouth.

And I became as a man that heareth not, and that hath in his mouth no reproofs. For in Thee have I hoped, O Lord; Thou wilt hearken unto me, O Lord my God (Ps. 37:14–16). David’s enemies attacked him, but he was silent and said nothing to them in answer, as though he were dumb and deaf, because he hoped in God. This is referring to a specific situation: when David was fleeing from Jerusalem, one of his subjects abused and cursed David, throwing stones and dust at him. But when his friends wanted to kill his abuser David ordered them to leave him alone, since he felt that God had aroused this person against him. This is true for us as well, because when the demons attempt to force their will on us we must be deaf and dumb, hoping only in the Lord, seeking justification and salvation from Him. We must follow the example of the prophet David, who teaches us not to enter into dialogue with evil. People who have become freed from sin, who have vanquished evil, may talk with evil. Pimen the Great said of himself that he received an evil thought and examined it on all sides, in order to find the most sophisti39

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cated means of destroying it. The greatest works of patristic wisdom, such as The Ladder and The Philokalia, are formulated as highly detailed analyses of evil, its tricks and subtleties, and the search for ways of destroying these ploys of the enemy. But a person who has not yet conquered evil must simply not enter into dialogue with it. If Eve had been wise she would have become deaf and dumb when the snake spoke to her, and we would now be living in paradise.

For I said: Let never mine enemies rejoice over me; yea, when my feet were shaken, those men spake boastful words against me (Ps. 37:17). David is telling God not to let his enemies rejoice over him—those enemies who, when he stumbled by sinning, immediately began to accuse him with pompous words. And this is always the way: when a Christian falls into sin, everyone begins to accuse him. But David exhorts us not to listen to men who accuse us of evil, because they are incapable of healing sinners, and only know how to blame and accuse.

People who accuse one who has fallen drive him to despair, and it is the demons behind them who are to blame.

For I am ready for scourges, and my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare mine iniquity, and I will take heed concerning my sin (Ps. 37:18–19).

David is ready to be punished, because his sick40

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ness is constantly before him. He is saying that he will not hide his iniquity, but will reveal it before God: if a person has sinned he must immediately repent, because through confession a person not only repents of his sins, but also his mind and his will are changed.

But mine enemies live and are made stronger than I, and they that hated me unjustly are multiplied. They that render me evil for good slandered me, because I pursued goodness (Ps. 37:20–21). David says that the enemies surrounding him are becoming stronger and are persecuting him unjustly; they render him evil for good, and are hostile toward him because he pursues what is good. Many people reason thus: “If a person has done evil, he must be justly punished.” But David teaches that this is not so, that this is not how it should be. What actually happens is that a person who does evil sinks into that spiritual dimension where injustice reigns. And this injustice may vastly exceed the sin that he committed. But it was he that brought himself down into this world of unrighteousness, this world of iniquity, and escape is possible only with God’s help.

David cries out to God the Savior, Forsake me not, O Lord my God, depart not from me. Be attentive unto my help, O Lord of my salvation (Ps. 37:22–23).

Though he has sinned, David nevertheless con41

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tinues to call God his own. He has fallen, but not fallen away! People sometimes come to church and tell the priest that they do not believe in God, but they still ask him to confess them. The priest sends these people to a psychoanalyst. “Whom are you asking for help?” he asks them. “The priest can be of no help to you; the priest is a mortal man of flesh and blood. He cannot help if you do not ask for help from God. How can the priest help if a person does not believe in God and does not trust Him?”** The hope of Christians is in God alone, the Deliverer from death, Who bestows eternal life. He saves men who fall into sins, lifting people out of the abyss into which they have fallen. It is this that is described in Psalm 37. *

A Muslim woman, whose son was a drug addict, once came to church to see me. I talked with her and proposed that she accept Orthodoxy, but she began to yell that I was offending people’s religious sensitivities.

She wanted her son to remain in the faith of his fathers, but at the same time to recover from drugs.

“Then you must go to your mullah,” I told her. To this she resignedly replied, “I have already been to him. He can do nothing to help.” To this I replied, “We act by the power of Almighty God. We are not a psychological clinic that merely soothes a person, telling him everything will be all right.”

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The Thirst for God

THE THIRST FOR GOD

Explanation of Psalm 62 This is the third psalm of the Six Psalms, written by King David at an extremely difficult time in his life. It is called, A Psalm of David. When He Was in the Wilderness of Judea (Ps. 62:1).

Whoever has read the first and second books of Samuel knows that King David, anointed to kingship in place of King Saul, did not immediately receive the crown. Instead of rewarding David for the marvelous courage he had shown in defending the king and Israel in battle, Saul began to persecute him, and David was obliged to flee into the Judean wilderness. But Saul sought him everywhere, and even followed him there. Once he entered a cave where David was, and failed to notice him. David took pity on Saul and did not kill him, but he stealthily cut off a corner of his robe, as proof that he could have killed Saul, but did not do so. For his longsuffering David soon became king, while Saul perished in battle with the Philistines.

O God, my God, unto Thee I rise early at dawn.

My soul hath thirsted for Thee; how often hath my flesh longed after Thee in a land barren and untrodden and unwatered. So in the sanctuary have I appeared before 43

The Thirst for God

Thee to see Thy power and Thy glory, for Thy mercy is better than lives; my lips shall praise Thee. So shall I bless Thee in my life, and in Thy name will I lift up my hands. As with marrow and fatness let my soul be filled, and with lips of rejoicing shall my mouth praise Thee. If I remembered Thee on my bed, at the dawn I meditated on Thee. For Thou art become my helper; in the shelter of Thy wings will I rejoice. My soul hath cleaved after Thee, Thy right hand hath been quick to help me. But as for these, in vain have they sought after my soul; they shall go into the nethermost parts of the earth, they shall be surrendered unto the edge of the sword; portions for foxes shall they be. But the king shall be glad in God, everyone shall be praised that sweareth by Him; for the mouth of them is stopped that speak unjust things (Ps. 62:2–12).

In simple language, “O God, my God, in the early morning I turn to You. My soul has thirsted for You, and how many times has my flesh longed for You in an impassable and waterless desert.

How I yearn to appear before You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. For Your mercy is more precious than life. My mouth will praise You. So will I glorify You throughout my life, and in Your name will I lift up my hands in prayer. Let my soul be filled as with fat and oil, and with a joyous voice let my mouth praise You; when I remember You on my bed, I contemplate 44

The Thirst for God

You in the morning. For You are my Helper, and I will rejoice beneath the shelter of Your wings.

My soul has cleaved to You; Your right hand has embraced me. But in vain they sought my life; they themselves will go down into the grave, they will be given over to the sword, they will become the prey of foxes. But the king shall be glad in God, everyone who swears by Him will glory, for the mouth of those who speak untruth is shut.”

David is saying that he turns to Almighty God early in the morning, and that he looks upon the Lord, paying no heed to his pursuers. Some people who fall into misfortune start by considering how to extricate themselves from it, but their next thought is of how to take revenge on their offenders. King David did not do this. At sunrise he turns to God, though he is in exile and his situation is practically hopeless. He repeats the name of God twice, because the Lord is near and dear to him, and David delights in the very name of God. A consciousness of the sweetness of God’s name is common to all Christians. In the 14th century the great ascetics of the Church wrote a beautiful akathist, titled “The Akathist to Sweetest Jesus.” Unfortunately, many people come to Christianity not in order to glorify the name of Jesus, but only to profit themselves. A person who limits Christianity to the status of a commodity, 45

The Thirst for God

who does not wish to learn to glorify God, does not wish to give thanks and exult before the face of God, will always be a stranger to the heights of piety, a stranger to divine love. He will never learn the pinnacle of Christianity, which is revealed only to lovers of God. We see once again that David perceives God as absolutely his own: He is his personal God, his protector, his defender, his beloved God, Who is near to David, and David turns to Him early in the morning. All of us who live on earth are, in a certain sense, in the position of King David, since the earth does not provide eternal life, and it has no direct road leading to eternity. A person who lives an earthly life, who is a stranger to the grace of the Holy Spirit, experiences a continual spiritual thirst, and we who are in earthly darkness, amid this gloom, must seek God every morning.

David calls out to God, My soul hath thirsted for Thee; how often hath my flesh longed after Thee in a land barren and untrodden and unwatered (Ps. 62:2).

In simple language, “My soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs after You in a land that is empty, parched, and waterless.� In interpreting these words, Gregory of Nyssa writes that thirst is an acute sensation, which comes abruptly and forces a person to seek water. Hunger comes slowly, 46

Preserve Your Heart

and it can be fooled by having a light snack, but thirst is an acute sensation. In exactly the same way David thirsts for God: his whole soul longs for Him, and it withers without God, like parched earth without sources of water. And not only the soul, but the flesh also longs for the Lord: the feet of a Christian go to God’s church of their own accord, and this is the mark of a healthy Christian. We know that salvation encompasses the whole man, and our goal is the salvation not only of the soul, but also of the body, which will be renewed on the day of the resurrection. Already here on earth the thirst for God encompasses a person: our body thirsts for the presence of God. The holy hierarch Athanasius the Great explains this thirst by the fact that we make prostrations during prayer, and some sleep on hard surfaces or even on bare ground in the name of Christ.

The thirst for God in the body likewise moves people to make the sign of the cross.

PRESERVE YOUR HEART

It is known that in a person there are physical points where prayer must be produced. These can be accurate and correct, but they can also be erroneous. These are the points where the mind is concentrated during prayer. The fathers of the 47

The Thirst for God

Church said that prayer must be at the top of the heart, just above the left nipple. In man the physical is always linked to the spiritual: from the heart proceed evil thoughts, fornication, murder, robbery, theft, blasphemy, and all that defiles a man.

As the Lord said, Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man (Mt. 15:11). And the most wise King Solomon says, Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Prov. 4:23).

This refers to the heart not only in the spiritual sense, but also in the physical, because in a person the soul is directly united with the body.

The holy hierarch Luke Voino-Yasinetsky, musing on the relationship between the heart and the soul, says that the function of the heart is not limited merely to pumping blood: even on a physical level the heart is linked to the feelings.

Our bodily and spiritual states are interlinked.

A person’s soul has several levels, and the lower part of the heart reacts to the vegetable part of the soul, which is responsible for the growth of the human body. The highest part of the soul is the mind, the will, and the senses. By the mind we mean not only the reason, but also intuitive cognition, knowledge of the fact that God exists, and the ability to come to know other people.

This activity of the soul is linked to the upper part 48

Preserve Your Heart

of the heart and to a person’s head. God deliberately made it so that the vital functions would not be subject to the mind, so that our mind would not be distracted by managing our heartbeat, our breathing, etc. But there are various techniques for manipulating the human body, designed to affect the vital functions. These are energetically practiced by the yogis, who control the heartbeat and the inner digestive processes, attempt to alter their breathing, and are frightfully proud of this. In actuality however there is absolutely nothing here to be proud of, since God deliberately freed us from this task, and to engage in this is simply foolish. Unfortunately, many people today enthusiastically study various occult practices, and are quite pleased at having gained some measure of control over regulating the functions of the soul that are not dependent on the mind.

In actuality these people have eagerly traded the post of a university professor for that of a sewage worker. The idea that my mind can manage my body better than the irrational part of the soul is absolutely incorrect. It has long been known that all attempts to arrange life in a rational fashion usually have the most irrational consequences, and if we attempt to direct the efforts of our mind toward properly managing the body, the result will be absolutely absurd.

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PRAYER OF THE MIND AND HEART

Thus, a person’s prayer must be of the mind and the heart, and when he attempts to understand each word of prayer, his consciousness is concentrated in the sphere of the language. Later, with the help of the Holy Spirit, a person’s mind begins to unite with the heart (though attempting to deliberately achieve this without an experienced spiritual father is impermissible). This can occur on its own, if a person prays attentively, communes of the Lord’s Body and Blood, and tries to live according to the commandments. Then the mind unites with the heart, and the recovery of both the spiritual and the bodily entities begins. But there are people who during prayer become feverish: they start smelling fragrances, weeping hysterically, and the like. This occurs because they have “missed the mark” and struck the lower part of the heart, instead of the upper. As a result, in place of grace the vegetable part of the soul has been substituted: what was lowest has prevailed over what was highest, and in his ignorance the person has mistaken this for the action of grace, though in actuality he has slipped down to a level below the human—even, through his pridefulness, to the level of the demons.

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Prayer of the Mind and Heart

There are even outward signs by which one may determine how a person is praying. If after prayer he begins to quarrel at the drop of a hat, if nothing pleases him, this means he has been praying improperly, and instead of praying to God he has been mistaking his emotions for God. The purpose of prayer is communion with God, and the true fruits of prayer are the Gospel virtues.

Saint Nilus of Sinai said, “In desiring to behold the face of the Heavenly Father, by no means aspire to see an image or figure during prayer.”45 He says that we ought not to reject visions, but to put them aside with the hand of humility, because by rejecting a vision we may also reject the grace of God. The proper thing to do is to put it aside with the words, “I am unworthy!” Then the Lord will accept our humility.

Addressing the Lord, David says, So in the sanctuary have I appeared before Thee to see Thy power and Thy glory, for Thy mercy is better than lives; my lips shall praise Thee (Ps. 62:3–4). David’s chief sorrow in the wilderness was not that he had no palace there, but that there he could not go to the temple, for the normal state of a Christian is to always long to be in church. Many come to the temple of God that the Lord might protect, console, and strengthen them, but David wishes to see the power and glory of God; he desires simply to glo51

The Thirst for God

rify the Lord, forgetting about himself. He longs for God, and longs to enter the sanctuary. In the Church Slavonic text the verb yavikhsya, “I have appeared,” is in the past tense. This means that David has already appeared before God, yet we know that he is writing these lines in the wilderness. How then could he have appeared?

The Lord said by the mouth of the prophet Ezekiel, during the Babylonian captivity, Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come (Ezek. 11:16). And although David was distant from the temple of God in body, he had a hidden sanctuary within him—God Himself, Who acts within a person. Let us examine two quotes, which may appear to contradict each other. The Lord teaches, But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly (Mt. 6:6). The apostle Paul however wrote the following: I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting (1 Tim. 2:8). That is, on the one hand the apostle Paul says that one should pray everywhere and at all times, but the Lord commands, Enter into thy closet. This closet into which a person can enter is always with him. In 52

Prayer of the Mind and Heart

the Slavonic translation the word used for “closet” is klet, or cage—the rib cage, or the heart of a man. Saint Ambrose of Milan writes thus: “You can pray in your closet at all times and in every place. Your closet is with you everywhere. Even if you are among pagans or Jews you will be able to pray, for you have a secluded place with you wherever you may be. Your closet is your soul. Though you should be in the midst of a crowd, in your inner man lies your secret, secluded place.”46 David wishes to see the power of God and His glory; he wishes to glorify the Lord, to participate in His glory. A person must glorify God by his deeds, words, mind, will, senses, and life, and then that person himself will become permeated with this glory. In actuality David is praying for something even greater than merely to come to the temple: he wishes to see the power and glory of God with his own eyes. And see it he did—when Christ descended into hades.

Being in the underworld (we know that prior to Christ’s Resurrection paradise was inaccessible), David first saw the glory of God when the Lord broke down the gates of hades, since the prince of darkness did not wish to allow Him to enter. He then saw the glory of Christ when He hallowed the place of darkness by His presence. What David had dreamed of was fulfilled, 53

The Thirst for God

but not entirely: the time will come when David will rise from the darkness of the tomb on Mount Sion where he now lies, will open his eyes, and will behold the might of the Lord Who raises the dead, and will behold His unending glory.

THE MERCY OF GOD IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN LIFE

David continues: For Thy mercy is better than lives; my lips shall praise Thee (Ps. 62:4). Life vanishes; it is a process of gradual death. We have life in death: we are constantly sick, our mind is seized by the darkness of the flesh, our body suffers, our will is impotent, our senses reach out in every direction. The mercy of God is greater that life: it is eternal, it was given to us before the dawn of time, and it will be with us after death.

If a person has to choose between the mercy of God and life, he must choose the mercy of God. For this very reason the martyrs went to death for Christ’s sake. This is a very important sentiment, and if we understand that the mercy of God is more important that life, our own life will take on a completely different dimension, and it will not become an end in itself for which we must fight.

So shall I bless Thee in my life, and in Thy name will I lift up my hands (Ps. 62:5). That is, while 54

The Mercy of God is More Important than Life

David lives he will unceasingly bless the Lord.

John Chrysostom wrote, “You have enlivened me and enraptured me in that, while communicating sad tidings, you have linked them with a saying which ought to be appended to every happenstance in life, having said, ‘Glory to God for all things.’ This saying is a fatal blow to the devil.”47 If you glorify God Almighty for every action that befalls you, the devil in spite of himself will become an instrument of your healing, and not of your destruction. By blessing God for all things, a person begins to see a purpose in everything that occurs. When Chrysostom was dying in exile, betrayed, slandered, and degraded, his last words were, “Glory to God for all things!” Thus also spoke David, who saw the meaning of his life in God alone.

Since ancient times there have existed special postures for prayer, and the best known of these is to stand upright in the presence of God, cross one’s arms upon one’s chest, and pray in this manner. The second widespread gesture is the sign of the cross. There is the great sign of the cross, when we bless our mind, feelings, and strength, and there is the lesser sign of the cross, when we bless our forehead, heart, and mouth.

We must also bless our food, bed, and clothing with the sign of the cross. When getting into 55

The Thirst for God

a car we should make the sign of the cross over the road, and upon returning home and parking the car we should sign the cross over the car. The next gesture is bows. There are several different bows: bows of the head, bows from the waist, and prostrations to the ground. There is also the great prostration, when a person lies spread-eagled on the ground. This bow is used during the rite of the monastic tonsure, but it can also be employed at home, especially in times of attack by intense passions (those of the flesh, or of envy). It should be remembered that the Church prohibits prostrations and great prostrations on Sundays (from Saturday evening to Sunday evening), from Pascha to Pentecost, and on major feasts and the twelve great feasts.

There are also other postures for prayer.

For example, for mental prayer the posture of the prophet Elijah is used: when the prophet Eljah was praying that rain be sent down upon the earth after three and a half years of drought, he crouched down and bowed his head between his knees. This prayerful posture is employed by monks. Finally, there is the prayerful gesture of which King David speaks, a gesture that today is used by priests in the Orthodox Church: this is prayer with hands upraised. Lifting up one’s hands signifies the heart’s longing for God, and a layman can and must pray in this manner. For 56

Time for God

example, according to the Typicon the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is to be read by everyone specifically with hands upraised. (This is no longer customary, however, so in church one should not provoke others by lifting up one’s hands.) At home, however, one should pray with hands upraised, especially at the reading of “Our Father” (those barred from Communion are not permitted to pray with upraised hands). King David says that he will lift up his hands to glorify the name of God, and the name of the Lord is the Lord Himself.

As with marrow and fatness let my soul be filled, and with lips rejoicing shall my mouth praise Thee (Ps. 62:6). After David glorified the Lord, his soul became sated and fragrant with oil. After abundant prayer or worship in church the Lord visits our soul, and it becomes filled with perfume.

This perfume encompasses not only a person’s soul, but also his body, which is why the relics of many saints emit a fragrance, as do the bodies of living righteous men.

TIME FOR GOD

If I remembered Thee on my bed, at the dawn I meditated on Thee. For Thou art become my helper; in the shelter of Thy wings will I rejoice (Ps. 62:7–8).

57

BIBLIOGRAPHY *

40. Saint John Chrysostom. Talks on the Psalms.

Moscow: All-Merciful Savior Orthodox Benevolent Brotherhood, 2013.

41. Saint John Chrysostom. Talks on the Psalms.

Moscow: All-Merciful Savior Orthodox Benevolent Brotherhood, 2013.

42. Saint Isaac of Syria. Ascetic Homilies. Moscow: Pravilo Very, 2009.

43. Saint Theophan the Recluse. The Spiritual Life and How to Be Attuned to It. Moscow: Otchy Dom, 2010.

44. Saint John Chrysostom. Talks on the Psalms.

Moscow: All-Merciful Savior Orthodox Benevolent Brotherhood, 2013.

45. Saint Gregory of Nyssa. Collected Works. St. Petersburg: Soikin Print Shop, 1996.

46. Saint Ambrose of Milan. Collected Works. In Latin and Russian. Vol. I. Moscow: Saint Tikhon Orthodox Humanitarian University, 2012.

47. Saint John Chrysostom. Complete Collected Works. 12 Volumes in 25 Books. Vol. III. Moscow: Parish of the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, 2006.

48. Saint Isaac of Syria. Ascetic Homilies. Moscow: Pravilo Very, 2009. *

Translator’s note: The information given for all titles is for the Russian editions.

137

Bibliography

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

50. Saint Athanasius the Great. Explanation of the Psalms. Moscow: Blagovest, 2013.

51. Saint Cyril of Jerusalem. Catechetical and Mystagogical Teachings. Moscow: Blagovest, 2010.

52. Saint Athanasius the Great. Explanation of the Psalms. Moscow: Blagovest, 2013.

53. Saint John of the Ladder. The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Moscow: Publishing house of Sretensky Monastery in Moscow, 2001.

54. Saint John Chrysostom. Talks on the Psalms.

Moscow: All-Merciful Savior Orthodox Benevolent Brotherhood, 2013.

55. Saint Athanasius the Great. Explanation of the Psalms. Moscow: Blagovest, 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.

TALKS ON THE FIRST AND SECOND EPISTLES OF THE APOSTLE PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS

T

his work comprises an explanation of the first and second epistles of the holy apostle Paul to the Corinthians. For convenient study the text has been divided into twelve parts, with appropriate headings for key theological topics. The author endeavors to explain the texts of Holy Scripture in understandable language for the modern reader.

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 first 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.

TALKS ON THE PASSIONS

W

e must know our enemies. The passions and those who help to reinforce them are the enemy’s seed. And God summons us to do battle with them throughout our life. But how do we learn the tactics? Using the experience of the Church and the works of the holy fathers, Fr. Daniel explains how sin operates in a person’s soul, and the techniques for fighting it. These lectures will move each to give thought to the need for making a concentrated effort to cleanse his soul for God.

Priest Daniel Sysoev

Explanation of Selected Psalms In Four Parts Part 4 The last judgment

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