ABBA DOROTHEOS
The
scripture speaks of the midwives who did not kill the
children of Israel of the male sex, that as the
midwives feared God, they established for themselves
dwellings (Ex. 1:21). Are they tangible dwellings
that are spoken of here? And what does it mean to build a
house for oneself according to the fear of God? We do
the contrary: we are taught to leave even those houses
we already have for the sake of the fear of God. The
scripture speaks here not of tangible dwellings but of
the house of the soul, which a man builds for himself
by observing God's commandments. The scripture thus
instructs us that the fear of God motivates the soul to
keep the commandments, and by means of the commandments
the house of the soul is built. Let us also, brethren,
be attentive to ourselves, let us also fear God, let us
build for ourselves a house so as to find protection in
wintertime, in the times of rains, thunder and
lightning, because one who does not have a house
endures great misfortune in time of winter.
How is the house of the soul built? We can learn this by
observing how a material house is built. For he who wishes
to build such a house must fortify all around by building
walls on all four sides, and not concern himself with one
side only, neglecting the other three. Otherwise he will
derive no benefit at all, but will waste everything in
vain—his intention, expense, and labor. So does it
happen also with the soul: for a man who desires to build
a house of the soul should not neglect a single wall of
his building, but should erect it evenly and harmoniously.
This is what is meant by what Abba John said, "I wish
that a man would acquire a little of every virtue every
day," and not hold to one virtue and abide in it,
practicing it alone without any concern for the others, as
some are wont to do. It may be also that they have this
virtue by habit, or by their natural character, and
therefore the passion which is opposed to it does not
trouble them; but beyond this they are unnoticeably
attracted by other passions and they are troubled by them,
however they are not concerned over them, but on the
contrary think that they possess something great. Such
people are like a man who builds only one wall, raising it
up as high as possible; and gazing only at the loftiness
of this one wall, he thinks that he has done something
great. He does not realize that should the wind blow even
once it will blow the wall down, for it stands alone and
is not bound to other walls. Besides, no one can set up a
defense for himself from one wall, because it is
vulnerable from all the other sides. It is unreasonable to
act in this way—on the contrary, one who desires to
build a house that will protect him should build it and
fortify it from all four sides. I will explain to you how
this is.
At first a foundation must be placed, that is, faith:
for without faith, as the Apostle says, it is
impossible to please Him [God] (Heb. 11:6), and then
on this foundation a man should erect his building evenly.
If obedience is needed, he should place one stone of
obedience; if he has been offended by his brother, he
should place one stone of long-suffering; if an occasion
for continence has presented itself he should place one
stone of continence. Thus from every virtue for which an
occasion presents itself he should place in the building
one stone, and thus build it up from all sides, placing
now a stone of compassion, now a stone of cutting off his
own will, now a stone of meekness, and so forth. And while
doing all this one should be careful to have patience and
courage, for they are the foundation stone, by them is
bound together the building and one wall is joined with
the other, which is why the walls do not lean and are not
separated one from the other. Without patience and courage
no one can perform a single virtue. For if someone does
not have courage in his soul, he will not have patience
either; and he who does not have patience can do nothing
at all. Therefore it is said, in your patience possess
ye your souls (Lk. 21:19).
One who is building must likewise spread mortar on each
stone; for if he places stone upon stone without mortar,
the stones will fall out and the house will fall down.
Mortar is humility, because it is taken from the earth and
is to be found at everyone's feet. And every virtue which
is performed without humility is not a virtue. This is
written also in the Patericon: "Just as one cannot
build a boat without nails, so also it is impossible to be
saved without the humility of wisdom." And thus,
everyone should do everything that he does that is good
with humility, so that by humility he might preserve what
has been done.
A house must also have so-called rafters, which are
discernment: they confirm the building, join stone with
stone and tie the walls together, while at the same time
adding great beauty to the house. The roof is love, which
is the perfection of virtue, and it is the pinnacle of the
house. After the roof, there is a railing.[1]
What does the railing around the roof mean? In the law
about this it is written, if you build a house and
make a roof on it, then make around the roof a railing,
so that your children will not fall off the roof
(Deut. 22:8). The railing is humility, because it
defends and preserves all the virtues. And just as
every virtue must be joined with humility, like, as we
have said, the mortar that is spread upon each stone,
so also is humility needful for the perfection of
virtue. For all the saints who advance naturally come
to humility, just as I have always said to
you—the nearer one draws to God, the more one
sees himself to be a sinner. And what are the children
that the law protects from falling off the roof? The
children are the thoughts abiding in the soul which
should be preserved by means of humility, so that they
might not fall from the roof of the dwelling.
And so the house is finished, it has rafters, it has a
roof, which we have said is the perfection of the virtues;
and here is the railing surrounding it. In a word, the
house is ready. But is not something yet lacking? Yes,
there is one thing we have not mentioned. And what is
this? That the builder must be skilled, for if he is
unskilled, he will make the walls a little crooked, and
the house will come down in time. He is skilled who
performs virtue with discernment; for someone may take up
the labor of virtue, but because he does this labor
without discernment he ruins it, or he constantly spoils
the work and cannot finish it. He builds and destroys,
puts on one stone and takes it out, and sometimes places
one and takes away two. For example, a brother has come
and has told you a word which has offended you or made you
bitter. If you remain silent and bow to him, you have
placed one stone. Then you go and say to another brother,
"Such-and-such a brother insulted me and told me this
and that, and I was not only silent, but I also bowed down
to him," and you have placed one stone and taken away
two. Again another one might bow down desiring thereby to
earn praise, and in him humility turns out to be mixed
with vainglory. This means placing a stone and then taking
it away. But one who makes a prostration sensibly is one
who is firmly convinced that he has sinned, and he is
perfectly persuaded that he himself is guilty: this is
what it means to make a prostration sensibly. Another one
might keep silence, but foolishly, because he thinks that
he is performing a virtue while he is not performing it at
all. But one who keeps silence sensibly thinks that he is
unworthy to speak, as the Fathers have said; this is
sensible silence. Again one might not consider himself
better than others, and thinks that he is doing something
great and that he is being humble; but he does not know
that he has nothing, because he acts foolishly. But he who
with reason does not consider himself better than others,
who thinks that he is nothing and that he is unworthy to
be numbered among men, as Abba Moses also said about
himself, “You are not a man, then why do you appear
in the midst of men?"
Again one may serve a sick man, but he serves him in order
to obtain a reward; this is likewise foolish. Therefore if
something difficult happens during his service it easily
removes him from this good deed and he does not obtain his
end, because he has done it foolishly. But one who serves
sensibly serves in order to acquire a merciful heart, in
order to acquire a feeling of compassion: for one who has
such an aim, no matter what may happen to him, whether he
be afflicted from within or from without, or even should
the sick man himself rise up against him in his
faint-heartedness, he bears all this without disturbance,
keeping sight of his aim and knowing that the sick man is
a greater benefactor to him than he is to the sick man.
Believe me, one who sensibly serves the sick is delivered
both from passions and from battles. I know a brother who
endured warfare from unclean thoughts, and he was
delivered from them by the fact that he sensibly served a
sick man who was suffering from dropsy. And Evagrius
speaks of a certain great Elder who delivered one brother
who was disturbed by fantasies at night by commanding him
to fast and to serve the sick. When the brother was asked
about this he said that these passions are not
extinguished by any means as well as by compassion.
And if one should fast either out of vainglory, or
thinking to himself that he is performing some virtue, he
fasts foolishly, and therefore he could later criticize
his brother, for he considers himself to be something
great. In this case he has not only placed one stone and
taken away two, but he is even in danger of destroying the
whole wall through judging his neighbor. But one who fasts
sensibly does not think that he is performing a virtue and
does not wish to be praised as a faster, but he thinks
that through continence he will acquire chastity, and by
means of this he will come to humility, as the Fathers
say: "The path to humility is bodily labors performed
sensibly," and the rest. In a word, a man must
perform every virtue so sensibly that he assimilates it
and makes it a habit; then he will be, as we have said, a
skilled artist, a builder who is able to build a sturdy
house.
Thus one who desires, with God's help, to achieve such a
good building should not say that the virtues are great
and he cannot attain them, for one who speaks like this
either has no hope in God's help or he is too lazy to
dedicate himself to something good. Name any virtue you
wish—we will examine it and you will see that it
depends upon us to fulfill it, if we so desire. Thus the
Scripture says, Love thy neighbor as thyself (Lev.
19:18, Matt. 19:19). Pay no attention to how short you
fall of this virtue, lest you become fearful and say,
"How can I love my neighbor as myself? Can I be
concerned for his sorrows as my own, and especially for
those secret ones in his heart, which I do not see and do
not know?" Do not entertain such thoughts, do not
think that the virtue exceeds your strength and is
impossible to fulfill, but only place a beginning with
hope in God, show Him your goodwill and your effort, and
you will see the help He will give you to perform the
virtue. Imagine two ladders, one leading above to Heaven
and the other going down to hell, and you stand on the
earth between these two ladders. Do not think and do not
say, "How can I fly up from the earth and be suddenly
in the heights of Heaven—that is, at the top of the
ladder?" This is impossible and God does not demand
this from you. However, be careful at least not to go
down. Do not do evil to your neighbor, do not offend him,
do not slander him, do not speak evil of him, do not
belittle him, do not reproach him, and in this way you
will begin with time, little by little, to do good also to
your brother, consoling him by words, being compassionate
to him or giving him what he needs. Thus, ascending from
one step to the next you will attain with God's help even
the top of the ladder. For little by little, helping your
neighbor, you will ascend to the stage of desiring his
profit as your own, and his success as your own. This is
what it means to love your neighbor as yourself.
If we seek we will find, and if we ask God He will
enlighten us; for in the Holy Gospel it is said, Ask
and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock
and it shall be opened unto you (Matt. 7:7). It is
said, "Ask," so that we might call upon God in
prayer; and "seek" means that we should
experience how virtue itself comes to us, what brings it,
and what we should do in order to acquire it; therefore
try to know what is meant also by "seek and ye shall
find." "Knock" means to fulfill the
commandments, for everyone who knocks does so with his
hands—and hands signify activity. So, we should not
only ask, but seek and act, striving, as the Apostle said,
that ye may abound unto every good work (II Cor.
9:8, II Tim. 2:21).
What does it mean to be prepared? When one wishes to build
a boat, at first he prepares everything necessary for the
boat, down to the smallest nails, tar, and packing.
Likewise if a woman wishes to weave canvas, first she
prepares everything down to the smallest thread; this is
what is called being prepared, that is to have in
readiness everything necessary for the work. Let us also
then "be prepared for every good work," being
fully ready to fulfill the will of God sensibly, as He
wishes and as it is pleasing to Him. And what is the
meaning of what was said by the Apostle, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will
of God (Rom. 12:2)? Everything that happens does so
either by God's good will or by His allowance, as the
Prophet said, He that prepared light and formed
darkness (Isa. 14:7). And again, Shall there be
evil in a city which the Lord has not wrought? (Amos
3:6). Evil here is the name given to everything that
encumbers us; that is, everything sorrowful that happens
for our punishment because of our viciousness, such as,
hunger, plague, earthquake, drought, illness, war. All
these things happen not by God's good will but rather by
His allowance, for our benefit.
But God does not want us to desire something like this or
enable it to happen. For example, as I have said, it may
happen that by God's allowance a city is destroyed, but
God does not want us to set the fire and burn it down, or
that we take axes and set about destroying it, inasmuch as
it is His will that the city be destroyed. Likewise God
might allow that someone have some sorrow or illness, but
even though it is God's will that the person be sad, still
God does not wish that we be the cause of his sorrow, or
that we should say, "It is God's will that he be
sick, and therefore we don't feel sorry for him." God
does not want this; it is not how He would like us to
serve His will. On the contrary, He would like to see us
become so good that we would not want that thing that He
has wrought by allowance. But what does He want? He wants
us to desire His good will, that which occurs, as I have
said, by His good will, that is, all that which comes
about according to His commandment: that we should love
each other, be compassionate, give alms and the like; this
is the "good" will of God. And what is the
meaning of "pleasing?" Not everyone who does
something good does it in a way pleasing to God. And I
will tell you how this happens. It happens that someone
finds a poor orphan who is beautiful in appearance; she
pleases him by her beauty, and he takes her and raises her
as a poor orphan, but also as beautiful one. This is the
will of God which is "good" but not
"pleasing". And "pleasing" is when one
give alms not from some human motive but for the sake of
good itself, from compassion alone: this is pleasing to
God.
And the perfect will of God is when one gives alms not
stingily, not indolently, not by compulsion, but with all
one's strength and all one's good will, giving in such a
way as if he were receiving it himself, and thus
performing a good deed as if he himself were receiving a
good deed: then is the perfect will of God
fulfilled.
Thus a man fulfills the will of God, as the Apostle says,
which is good, acceptable and perfect (Rom. 12:2).
This means to fulfill it sensibly. But one should know
that the very goodness of alms-giving, its very grace, is
so great that it can even forgive sins, as the Prophet
says, A man's own wealth is the ransom of his life
(Prov. 13:8). And again in another place it says, Atone
for thy sins by alms (Dan. 4:24). And the Lord Himself
said, Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father is also
merciful (Lk. 6:36). He did not say, Fast ye, as your
Father also fasteth. He did not say, Be ye unacquisitive
as your Father is also unacquisitive. But what did He say?
Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father is also
merciful, for this virtue especially emulates God and
makes a man like unto Him. And thus it is always proper,
as we have said, to keep this aim in view and do good
sensibly: for the aims of almsgiving can also greatly
differ. One gives alms so that his field might be blessed,
and God blesses his field and he attains his aim. Another
gives alms in order that his ship might be saved, and God
saves his ship. Another give alms for his children and God
saves and preserves his children. Another gives them in
order to be glorified, and God glorifies him. God does not
reject anyone, but gives to each one what he desires as
long as it will not harm his soul. But these have already
received their reward and God owes nothing to them because
they sought nothing for themselves from Him, and the aim
which they had in mind had no relation to their spiritual
profit. You did this so that your field might be blessed,
and God blessed your field; you did this for your children
and God preserved your children. You did this in order to
be glorified and God glorified you. And thus what does God
owe to you? He has given you the payment for which you
worked.
Another man gives alms in order to be delivered from
future torments; another gives them for the profit of his
soul; another gives for the sake of God, although he is
not yet as God wishes, for he is still in the state of a
slave, and a slave does not willingly perform the will of
his lord, but rather acts out of fear of punishment. The
one who gives alms in order to be delivered from torment,
is delivered from torment by God. Another gives alms in
order to receive a reward: this one is higher than the
first, but he is still not as God wishes—for he is
still not in the position of a son, but like a hireling
fulfills the will of his lord in order to receive payment
and profit from him. Likewise this one also gives alms in
order to receive a reward from God. For as St. Basil the
Great says, we can do good in three ways, as I have also
mentioned to you earlier: either we do good fearing
torments, and then we are in the position of a slave; or
in order to receive reward and then we are in the position
of a hireling: or we do good for the sake of good itself,
and then we are in the position of a son, for a son
fulfills the will of his father not from fear and not
because he wishes to receive a reward from him, but
because he want to please him, to revere him and give him
rest. So should we too give alms for the sake of good
itself, having compassion for one another as for our own
members, and we should please others as if we ourselves
had been served by them. We should give as if we ourselves
were receiving—this would be sensible alms, and we
would thereby attain to the position of sons as we have
said above. No one can say, "I am poor and I have
nothing to give as alms." For if you cannot give as
much as those rich men who put their gifts in the
treasury, then give the two pennies like that poor widow
and God will receive this from you as more than the gifts
of those rich men (cf. Mk. 12:42, Lk. 21:2). And if you do
not have even this much you have strength and you can show
mercy to your infirm brother by serving him. You cannot do
even this? Then you can comfort you brother by a word.
Show him mercy by words, and you will hear what has been
said, Lo, is not a word better than a gift? (Sir.
18:17). And if you cannot help him even by words, then,
when your brother becomes angry at you for something you
can show him mercy and endure him during the time of his
disturbance, seeing that he is tempted by the common
enemy, and instead of speaking a word to him that disturbs
him all the more, you can remain silent. By this you will
show him mercy, delivering his soul from the enemy. And
when your brother sins before you, have mercy on him and
forgive him his sin, so that you also might receive
forgiveness from God; for it is said, forgive, and ye
shall be forgiven (Luke 6:37). You can show your mercy
for the soul of your brother by forgiving him for his sin
against you, for God gave us the authority, if we wish, to
forgive each other the transgressions which transpire
amongst us. In this way, not having any means to show
mercy to his body, you have had mercy on his soul. What
mercy or alms could be greater than mercy toward his soul?
As the soul is more precious than the body, so mercy shown
to the soul is greater than that shown to the body.
Therefore no one can say, "I cannot give alms or show
mercy," for everyone can show mercy according to his
strength and the disposition of his soul. Only let every
man strive to do the good he does sensibly, as we have
said above, regarding every virtue. For we have said that
one who performs virtue sensibly is a skilled artisan who
builds his house securely. The Gospel also says (cf. Mt.
7:24, 25), that a wise man builds his dwelling upon a
rock, and no opposing force can cause it to fall. May God
the Lover of man grant us to hear and to fulfill what we
hear, so that these words will not serve for our judgment
on the Day of Judgment. For to Him belongs glory unto the
ages. Amen.
ABBA DOROTHEOS
(1) Such railings are built in the East, where roofs are built in the form of terraces. around it.
