Chapter 81
On the Work of Salvation and the Jesus Prayer
81.2.1 May the mercy of God be with you!
81.3.1 May the Lord bless you to guide such a son well, like Fr. N…. N.... The work of salvation is one for all – sincere repentance and a resolve, strong as death, to walk rightly from now on, in thoughts, in feelings, and in deeds...
81.4.1 May the Lord direct his path! Give him the little book ‘The Path to Salvation’ and ‘What is the Spiritual Life?’ to read.
81.5.1 That you’re deciding to prepare for your prayer rule – this is the real work. There are ‘Three Words on Prayer’ – from the Athonites. Among other things, there’s discussion there about what you’ve thought up for yourself. Learn by heart the twenty-four little prayers of Saint Chrysostom... And you can begin your prayer rule with them. And so—repeat them often throughout the day. They contain everything necessary. Through them it’s easier to pass over to unceasing prayer with the Jesus Prayer. This is especially fitting for beginners. The whole thing is to learn to keep your attention always on the omnipresent Lord who sees all, who desires all to be saved, and who is ready to help toward that end.
81.6.1 This habit won’t let you be troubled—whether interior or exterior affliction disturbs you: for it gives the soul complete satisfaction, which, filling the soul, leaves no room for any feeling of scarcity or insufficiency, casting yourself and all that is yours into the Lord’s hands and giving birth to a feeling of His unceasing protection and help.
81.7.1 You are a spiritual father. Buy a knife—a very sharp one—place it before your eyes, and look at it often, always bringing to memory the law by which a spiritual father is to have his tongue cut off if he reveals to anyone the sins confessed to him or by any hint lets them be guessed at. I have reason to think spiritual fathers neglect this... Such people don’t remember what evil comes from this—that is, if the thought spreads that spiritual fathers are indiscreet: confessions will become incomplete, and then they’ll stop altogether.
81.8.1 May the Lord bless you!
81.9.1 Be saved!
81.10.1 Your well-wisher.
81.11.1